Book Four: Light (an Avatar and Kingdom Hearts crossover)
by Organization Number 15
Summary: After saving the world from Fire Lord Ozai, Aang is maintaining peace in his world, but disturbances in both the physical and spirit world forces Raava to reawaken and call the Avatar to face the impending threat. With Dark Spirits about to breach the world and Vaatu leading them, will Aang's new ability save the world or will an outsider from another world have to quell the chaos.
1. The Awakening of the Avatar

**Hey. So it's been a long time since I've done fanfiction, but I decided to write something a little more concrete this round so it doesn't become too convoluted. I'll try and update the fanfic as much as I can in the future, but no guarantees with school and all. Fortunately, I do have break coming up, so I plan on writing more in the near future.**

**Anyways, so this fanfiction is a Kingdom Hearts/Avatar the Last Airbender crossover piece. I'm going to keep it in the world of Avatar (for the most part), but that doesn't mean that people from other world won't show up. We will just have to see about that.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender nor do I own Kingdom Hearts.**

**Also, the following content takes place four years after the events of the Avatar the Last Airbender finale (so there will be spoilers to the finale and other, earlier content) and there will be spoilers to Kingdom Hearts content all the way up to Dream Drop Distance (at the time of writing this, Kingdom Hearts 3 does not exist nor do I intend to update this content to the canon).**

**The following content will obviously diverge from the events that occur in Legend of Korra, although still including content released in Legend of Korra, since this piece will not be in sync with future canon.**

**Well, I don't know how long this fanfic will be, but please give me feedback and do enjoy!**

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><p>Aang woke up in a grassy plain, a dense fog surrounding him. Other than the outlines of nearby trees, Aang could not see anything around him. He looked on the floor and noticed that he was standing on a familiar platform. A memory came to him as he recognized the same hexagonal shape underneath him, the familiar patters decorating it.<p>

_I'm on the back of a Lion Turtle. Just like the day of Sozin's comet…_

Recalling the fateful day he defeated the fire lord, he looked down and realized he was wearing the same clothes from the day of Sozin's comet.

_Is this a dream? Or am I reliving that day?_

He went to the edge of the fog and walked into the trees, but as he was clearing the brush, he decided to walk back into the clearing, as if something was calling to him. Remembering his actions, he sat down and meditated. A blue aura surrounded the Avatar as a familiar figure appeared In front of him, wearing the red robes of the Fire Nation.

_Roku_

"It's good to see you, Aang," Aang gave a respectful bow and Roku returned it with a nod.

"Roku, why am I here? Why am I reliving all of this?"

"I…do not know," Roku looked as puzzled as Aang, "but there is one thing that I have been meaning to talk to you about, something of grave importance."

"What do you mean? Fore Lord Ozai has been defeated, Zuko has ascended to the throne, the nations have been rebuilding. What have I missed?" Aang's frustration seeped out of him. Over the last four years, as much as he did not want to admit it, his life has been anything but peaceful. While he believed that peace would be restored to the world, instead he was left to pick up the pieces. He was aware that he would have to do this, but his job lately has been requiring him to be less of an Avatar and more like a janitor.

"I understand that keeping the nations in check, especially after this war, is not an easy task…"

"No, it is not an easy task. My job isn't to pick up after people; my job is to keep balance between the nations. As much as I want to rebuild the world, I haven't even had a moment to spend with my friends, with Katara…"

"Aang…" Roku looked with a sympathetic smile, and Aang calmed down.

"I'm sorry. Please, go on," Aang took a deep breath and adjusted his seating.

"Raava has been meaning to speak with you for a while now. It seems that a dark force is settling in the spirit world and it is very likely that it may play a threat is left unchecked."

"Wait, who is Raava? And what do you mean by a 'dark force'? Is the spirit world in danger?" Aang took another deep breath.

"Raava is the ancient spirit of peace and light that fused with the original Avatar tens of thousands of years ago. She is the reason why the Avatar can bend all four elements, and her spirit has lain dormant within every Avatar since then. This dormancy, however, has abruptly ended with the arrival of shadows within the spirit world, fierce beings whose only goal is to consume. It seems as if these beings are attempting to force a connection between the spirit world and the mortal world."

"So if these spirits are attempting to consume the spirit world, what can I do about it? My bending doesn't work in the spirit world. I'm useless," Aang's eyes descended downward, tracing patterns within the familiar looking platform.

"This is why Raava wishes to speak with you. You will need to undergo a test, however, before you can speak to her. Perhaps that is the reason why you have been called here. I hope you are decisive in these upcoming events, and I wish you luck, Aang," Aang reached out to Roku, calling his name as he faded.

Aang suddenly felt sleepy. He laid down, forgetting everything that Roku warned about for the split second that his head hit the lion turtle's back, his eyes closed, and he descended into darkness.

Aang woke up on an orange, red, and yellow stain glass floor surrounded by darkness. His head bobbed before he gained bearing on his surroundings.

_Where am I? Is this the Spirit world?_

He decided to test his bending, attempting to airbend, but failed. He tried firebending, but no luck. He didn't even bother to test his water or earthbending, for there was nothing to bend.

_Perhaps this is the Spirit world…?_

_ No, it feels different from then. This is something else entirely. _

_But why am I here?_

Aang looked down to the stain glass and found himself in the middle of the art, meditating with glowing tattoos, showing his Avatar spirit resonating deep from within him. Around his figure, he could see several circles containing his friends: Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Suki, even Monk Gyatso, Iroh, and King Bumi. A larger circle was saved for Katara, the girl he loved. On the outside, a plethora of stain glass circles surrounded this larger, inner circle that he stood in, and this was the first time he realized how big this stain glass platform was. He assumed that each circle contained a past life of his, explaining why the stain glass seemed to go on for miles.

A soft, female voice spoke, "So much to do, so little time... Take your time. Don't be afraid. The door is still shut. Now, step forward. Can you do it?

"What's going on? Who are you?"

"In time, young Avatar," Aang saw three platforms rise in front of him. One held a sword, another held a shield, and the last a staff.

"Power sleeps within you...If you give it form... It will give you strength. Choose well," Aang seemed to gravitate towards the staff.

"The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. Is this the power you seek?" Aang thinks it over, remembering the Avatar spirit that rests inside of him, the cosmic energy that radiates in his being that controls the Avatar state. He can control this power, but he has not yet mastered it; perhaps it was the time to do so.

"Yes," he grabs the staff.

"Your path is set," the soothing voice said as the staff disappears from his hand.

"Now, what will you give up in exchange?" Aang instinctively walks towards the sword.

"The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. You give up this power?" Aang nods, thinking back to when he fought Ozai, how he hesitated, how he took the most peaceful approach, even has he had the opportunity to kill him. Aang was not capable of taking a life; he did not need destruction. The Avatar has to keep balance.

"Yes," Aang said as the sword disappeared from the pedestal.

"You've chosen the power of the mystic. You've given up the power of the warrior. Is this the form you choose?"

"Yes," Aang nods with conviction.

"So be it. You have always been a gentle, yet powerful spirit, young Avatar," the voice sweetly says as the pedestals fall into the stain glass, breaking the miles of floor as he fell into the abyss, only to land on another stain-glass floor. This floor was purple and depicted Sokka with all of his friends in circles surrounding his portrait, an especially large circle for Suki.

Aang's original glider appeared in his hand, but the glider somehow felt different, as if an embedded power has been placed inside of it.

"You have gained the power to fight in the Spirit world," the voice said as light surrounded the glider, "use this power to protect the world and those who are closest to you."

Suddenly, a Shadow appeared out of the stain glass, rising with haunting yellow eyes as it appeared with crooked limbs and antennae.

"What is that? A spirit? Is this what Roku was talking about?" Aang readied his glider.

"There will be times you have to fight. Keep your light burning strong," the voice faded as the Shadow sprung and attacked. Aang blocked it with his glider and attempted to airbend, but realized that he couldn't bend. He instead struck the Shadow with his glider and after a parry of blows, the Shadow disappeared.

More Shadows appeared, surrounding the air nomad. Aang swung his staff at the jumping Shadows, knocking them back before moving quickly on his feat to knock one down with his staff, destroying it. He turned to one behind him as it was about to strike and swatted it away, striking the other two around him with his staff before they, too, disappeared. He turned to the Shadow he swatted away, only to see that it melded into the ground underneath him. He attempted to strike, but the Shadow evaded him, moving underneath him before molding back into form, but before it could act, Aang delivered the final blow, and the Shadow was no more.

Aang turned around only to see a pool of shadows washing over the stain glass platform, swallowing him as he began to cry in fear. Swallowed into the darkness, Aang felt himself free-falling again before appearing on another stain glass floor, except it was green and it was a portrait was that of Toph. As he landed, he saw a white door on the other side of the platform.

"Do not be too hasty to open the door. Reflect upon the things that matter the most to you before you open it," the voice advised. Aang took the voices advised and meditated on the floor. He was transported to the Southern Air temple.

Three figures he respected awaited him on the Air temple grounds. King Bumi, Guru Pathik, and Monk Gyatso.

Aang walked up to King Bumi and smiled.

"What is it that you value most, Aang?" he asked.

Aang immediately answered, "My friends, the people who are closest to me." He thought of Sokka, Toph, Zuko, all of the people who have helped him and who he cared about. He thought about Katara and how much she meant to him.

King Bumi smiled and laughed manically before fading away.

Aang put on a more serious face as he approached Monk Gyatso, a rush of guilt building up inside of him.

"What are you afraid of, young Airbender?" Gyatso asked calmly.

Aang looked down, "Losing the people I love. Losing my people, my friends, failing to save them and the world. I fear that I will fail them all." Aang recalled feelings from the day after he woke up from his coma, several weeks after Azula shot him down and took Ba Sing Se, as well as the day of the invasion when he made the wrong call, when he had to flee and let the others be captured.

Monk Gyatso gave a reassuring smile before fading away.

Finally, Aang calmly walked up to Guru Pathik, who returned a calm stare.

"What is it that you seek in life, Avatar Aang?" he asked.

Aang considered this for a few moments before answering this, "To keep the world in a state of peace and to rebuild the Air Nation."

Guru Pathik nodded his head with a smile before disappearing. Aang looked at the clouds in the distance.

"You value your friends, you are afraid to fail them, and you wish to keep peace and rebuild the Air Nation. Your journey will begin in the dead of night. Your road will not be easy, but a rising sun awaits your journey's end."

"Alright," Aang says with conviction as light overcomes this scene and he exits his mediation. He walks over to the door and opens it.

He enters another room with a stained glass floor, except this time it was a blue altar of Katara. The usual circles showing each of her friends encompassed the portrait, but a larger circle was reserved for Aang. Aang smiled at this.

"This is your last sanctuary before you will face what lies beyond the door. Trust in yourself and in the people who care about you," Aang thought of Katara, of how he wanted to be with her, but was not able to because of his Avatar duties. He knew that she believed in him, that all of his friends believed and him and Aang walked with resolve over the stain glass floor and found a set of stain glass stairs that led to another platform. He calmly ascended the stairway until he reached the other platform, this one a red portrait of Zuko.

"The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes," Aang saw his shadow elongate before a large figure rose, a bald, black figure with tangling, dark hands and yellow eyes glowing fiercely. The figure had a large, heart-shaped hole where its core should be and glowing Airbender tattoos glowing as yellow as its eyes extended from its head, down its back, to its arms and legs. The Darkside looked exactly like him, except menacing.

With the stairs gone and nowhere to run, Aang raised his glider in a defensive position, getting into stance as the Darkside prepared its swing. He cartwheeled to the side, dodging the incoming blow as he struck the incoming hand with his glider, light illuminating the spot he struck. He propelled himself off the glider and onto the Darkside's arm, racing up to its face before striking several blows to its face. Aang retreated as the Darkside attempted to swat him off and landed safely on the ground just as the Darkside kneeled to the ground, shooting several beams into the sky. Raining down were several balls of energy and Aang spun his glider defensively to block the incoming attacks.

_Ugh…fighting without my bending is extremely crippling. Now I understand how Sokka feels…_

Aang dodged to this right as the Darkside launched itself from its position and threw a punch into the ground. Several Shadows emerged from a dark portal appearing where the Darkside struck and Aang decided it would be better to eliminate the easier targets to avoid them becoming a pestilence. Using his glider, he cut a path through the Shadows as he approached the Darkside's glowing hand and used it one more time to run up the length of its arm. Striking the head multiple times, Aang decided it was enough, and with a grunt, Aang jumped into the air and delivered the decisive blow. The Darkside began to waver and Aang jumped aside, allowing the colossus to fall onto the ground.

Aang breathed a sigh of relief until the Darkside faded into the ground, overtaking Aang. Unlike last time, Aang did not scream, but silently struggled to get out of the whirlpool of darkness. He felt his staff disappear in a burst of light. He was looking up at darkness as he fell into a pool of darkness.

"But do not be afraid. And do not forget. For you hold the mightiest weapon of all," Aang disappeared into the darkness, seeing a image of Katara flash through his mind as he was about to close his eyes when a light began shining. He realized that his Airbender tattoos were shining, as if he were entering the Avatar state, and that an orb of light appeared in front of him. Although the orb did not take a form, he knew what it was.

_Raava…_

"So don't forget: You are the one who will open the door…"

The light flashed as Aang was overtaken by it.

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><p><strong>So yeah, most of this chapter is basically the Keyblade dream ceremony, but I did try to get in some background and set up the basic premise. I will try and get the second chapter up as soon as possible, but I cannot promise anything. Also, make sure to give me feedback to see how I am doing. I hope you enjoyed it!<strong>


	2. A New Mission

**As I promised, I tried to get Chapter 2 up as quickly as possible. Most of this is explanation and exposition, but I did throw in a bit of action to compensate. Well, I hope you enjoy!**

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><p>Riku stood there out in the field, the star-speckled night sky and mystic clouds surrounding the floating island where Master Yen Sid's tower stood solemnly. Riku's clothing was no different than it was when he was finally granted the title of "Master" about three months ago, except one notable detail: strapped onto his right shoulder was a silver and yellow tinted piece of armor with a button right in the middle. The Armor: Yen Sid gave it to him as a gift so he could traverse worlds using the special lanes Keybearers were granted, without the use of a Gummi ship, a star fragment, or a portal of darkness. The Armor would also serve well in the battle against Xehanort defensively to protect him against the darkness and magic as well as provide him with a boost to his natural abilities. It was true, however, that with only minor intelligence as to Xehanort or the new Organization XIII's current whereabouts, Riku was confident that the Seeker of Darkness was preparing the final battle, so for now, Riku decided to focus on mastering the Armor to prepare for any scenario.<p>

At the other end of the clearing, Kairi stepped out of the building, wearing the same clothing from when she was finally declared an apprentice of Master Yen Sid, except she, too had armor, red in color, but it was thinner than Riku's and was worn on both shoulders. She smugly smiled as she approached Riku and called out to him.

"Riku! Are you ready to train?" she called to him. Despite only being recently dubbed a master, Master Yen Sid trusted him to also train Kairi for the upcoming battle considering his field experience and resistance to the darkness, both unusual, yet necessary traits considering the lack of available Keybearers, much less true masters.

"Don't you mean _Master_ Riku?" Riku grinned at Kairi mockingly.

"Oh, shut up," Kairi chuckled, "if Sora were here…"

"He would definitely have to call me Master," Riku smirked at the thought before returning to his serious demeanor.

"Anyways, I think it would be a good day to test your magic ability, Kairi," Riku summoned his keyblade, Way to the Dawn, the white light revealing the dark keyblade that characterized his struggle to walk the road in-between darkness and light. He stared at it for a moment before looking up at her.

Kairi summoned her Keyblade, Destiny's Embrace, the fateful keyblade Riku delivered to her they day she learned that she, too, could wield the keyblade, and the very keyblade she used to help Sora in the World that Never Was. She stood in stance, Keyblade by her side, as she prepared herself for the Master to begin.

Riku began by chucking three Dark Firaga balls at Kairi, who summoned a Reflectga shield to protect her. Breaking the shield, she prepared to launch Reflectga Shot, but Riku has already moved out of the way and tapped her shoulder from behind tauntingly. Kairi immediately reacted by casting Thundara, striking Riku a bit as he barely managed to get away, but not stopping the Keyblade Master as he fired three more Dark Firaga balls at Kairi. Kairi casted stop and moved out of the way, closing the distance between her and Riku. Clearing the Dark Firaga balls, she was about to land a strike on Riku when time started once more and Riku immediately landed three combos on Kairi before knocking her back with a finishing move.

Kairi managed to recover, but not until Riku managed to close the gap and casted Zero Gravitga, using the opportunity to knock Kairi in the air a few times before sending her flying. The spell broke soon after and Kairi managed an aerial recovery before casting the newly learned Curaga on herself, healing the majority of her wounds. She countered using Blizzara followed by a Sliding Dash, knocking Riku into the spell to daze him.

"Well played, but not quite enough," Riku smirked as he feinted with his keyblade, making Kairi hesitate with her next attack before countering her attack altogether, creating an opening. In the confusion, Riku managed to sweep her with his feet before, knocking her to the ground as he pointed his keyblade directly at her.

"Remember to keep an eye on your opponent and predict their movements, and always keep a strong stance to keep yourself balanced; it will also enable you to adapt the situation quickly," Riku dispersed his keyblade before helping his apprentice up.

"Retreat back if you ever feel that your opponent is too close to you or that you cannot guard against their next attack because if you create an opening, they will take it," Kairi nodded, taking in the Keyblade Master's advice.

"Otherwise, your magic was excellent and your movements were excellently coordinated. I will talk to Master Yen Sid about getting you stronger magic."

Kairi fist-pumped in excitement about getting new magic – she could blame Sora for giving her this habit when it came to training – before recomposing herself, "Thank you, Master Riku," she gave him a respectful bow, folding her hands. Riku returned her bow with a respectful nod.

As if he could read her mind, Riku asked, "So, how has Sora been?"

Kairi blushed as she answered, "He sent me a detailed letter about another world he was investigating for Master Yen Sid for his new mark of Mastery Exam. He couldn't tell me, by Master Yen Sid's orders, where he was, but it seems that he's been doing well in his travels and met a lot of good friends." What Kairi didn't tell Riku was that Sora planned on bringing her something nice when he got back, and when he was made a Master, he wanted to spend some time with her on Destiny Islands before the final battle.

_Maybe then we could finally share our first kiss…_

"Earth to Kairi," Riku waved a hand in front of her face, "but we need to go inside. I just remembered that, after our training, Master Yen Sid wanted to speak to us about something."

"Got it," Kairi nodded before walking with Riku up the Mystic Tower.

Master Yen Sid's chamber was rather cluttered today, documents and books littering parts of the floor where the orderly bookshelves once stood. His desk was an even greater clutter, as if every document has been ransacked by the Heartless, or even perhaps by Xehanort. All was well, however, and Riku breathed a deep sigh too as he walked to see the Master standing near another bookshelf near his desk.

"Master Riku," Master Yen Sid greeted with a small, respectful bow, Riku returning it as he walked into Yen Sid's chambers, "and Kairi. You have been progressing quickly in your training."

"Thank you, Master Yen Sid," Kairi deeply bowed in front of the Master before being invited to sit next to Riku in the large, lengthy chairs in front of his desk. Yen Sid took a seat himself.

"I apologize for the clutter, but the information I wanted to share with you is very old, in fact. Tens of thousands of years old, information held by my ancestor on the affairs of the Worlds right after the Keyblade War," Yen Sid sorted out the information he wanted to retrieve and, with a snap of his fingers, the other pieces of information walked themselves – yes, literally walked, Riku thought – to their individual shelves and sorted themselves back into place.

"The information concerning an incident at hand requires me to explain what occurred a long time ago when the World was shattered by the Keyblade War. You already know of the Keyblade War and how the worlds were restored, but it is important for me to explain how the fragments of light were dispersed."

"Aren't the fragments the heart of the worlds as they are today?" Kairi asked.

"Yes, that is true for the worlds you have encountered thus far, but for many worlds, the bigger worlds that hold a significantly larger proportion of people, the nature of light and darkness can oftentimes be a larger presence," Master Yen Sid waved a hand and displayed a hologram of a larger world next to a smaller, more typical sized world.

"In most cases, the heart of a world lies dormant, even when a keyhole is unlocked or Heartless begin to storm the world, and so the world does not interact with the people who inhabit it. For these bigger worlds, however, that is not the case. As you know, light and darkness exist in every heart, and this is especially true for these larger worlds. The forms of light and darkness manifest themselves into physical or spiritual forms which can influence and interact with their world, and much as the heart can be a constant struggle between light and darkness, these worlds are no different."

"The world I am about to explain to you is an ancient world that has existed since the time shortly after the Keyblade wars. In this world, light and darkness have manifested into spiritual beings and have balanced each other for eons," Yen Sid shifted the holograms, showing a picture of two spirits, a lighter and a darker one, "These spirits are known as Raava, the spirit of peace and light, and Vaatu, the spirit of darkness and chaos. Their battle has span generations in a constant struggle over dominance, neither capable of completely destroying the other, for every heart needs both light and darkness."

"However, at one point, Raava's spirit fused with the spirit of a human being, and through an endless cycle of reincarnation, this being has been called the Avatar. The Avatar is known to be the keeper of balance in that world and is the bridge between humans and spirits. Using the power given to him by Raava and ancient beings known as Lion Turtles, the Avatar has managed to defeat Vaatu nearly 10,000 years ago on a day known as Harmonic Convergence, and has sealed away Vaatu until the next Harmonic Convergence less than 100 years from now. As a result, the various Avatars have kept balance for millennia. As a result, there has never been a need to send a Keybearer to safeguard that world; in fact, many Keybearers believed that Raava and the keyblade were connected."

"It seems, however, that this balance is slowly being tipped by an outside force. I believe it to be the work of Xehanort," Riku narrowed his eyes in anticipation at the sound of his name, "and darkness has managed to seep into that world's other dominion, known as the Spirit World."

"I apologize, Master Yen Sid, but what do you mean by Spirits?" Kairi asked, "I understand what spirits are, but are these spirits separate from their bodies?"

"The answer is yes and no. As I have explained long ago, there are three essential components that make up a living being: There is the heart, the body, and the spirit," a new hologram showing displaying the Heart, the Body, and the Spirit appears on Yen Sid's desk, "In that world, when an individual passes, their heart and spirit enters the Spirit World and manifests in a new form depending on how powerful their spirits were in their previous life. If they have an exceptionally strong spirit or have a connection to the Spirit World, they can enter the spirit world with the same form and memories they passed on with. The only exception is the Avatar, who is already fused with a spirit."

"But just as the Heart can be separated from the body and become a Heartless and a Nobody arises from the empty shell of someone with a strong will, the spirit can also be corrupted and become angered, taking the form of unbalanced, Dark Spirits," putting aside the image of the Heartless and Nobody, Yen Sid displays the Dark Spirit in finer detail, "These Dark Spirits are driven by emotion, much like the Heartless, but are more willful and hold grudges against the people who angered them, and so they are harder to tame; many spirits, especially more powerful ones, often require different approaches to tame them as well. These more powerful, sinister Spirits, much like the members of Organization XIII, as well as other outside forces who command great darkness, can also influence and command these Spirits, including Vaatu."

"The Avatar has the ability to tame these Dark Spirits, however, though a means of purifying their darkness. The Keyblade is also capable of defeating these Dark Spirits and returning them to their original form, but only having a general knowledge of this world, I ask that you approach this matter carefully before making any rash decisions."

"So it is safe to assume that you want us to go investigate this world and make sure that Xehanort or the new Organization XIII isn't planning anything?" Riku folded his arms.

"Yes, but I have another task for you as well," Master Yen Sid snapped his fingers, removing the holograms from the table, and folded his hands, "I sensed that, in that same world, an individual who I cannot identify has awoken to the Keyblade. I need you to find that individual, for I believe they will be critical to solving this problem. I also need you to track down the Avatar and provide them with any information and assistance necessary. I do not usually ask you to meddle in the affairs of worlds, but this has escalated into a potential threat that could determine the outcome of future battles."

"I will add, however, that my intuition tells me that your search for the new Keybearer and the Avatar might not be too different in goal," Riku pondered on this thought, as well as the connection between Raava and the keyblade.

_It would not be too farfetched to assume that the Avatar and the Keybearer may be the same person…_

_I shouldn't jump to any conclusions, yet, though_. Riku left his mind just as Yen Sid was saying something to Kairi.

"Do you think I should really go?" Kairi asked, "I have only trained for three months."

"I believe it would be beneficial for you to go. With your exceptional progress and talent as well as the press for time before the final battle, I believe it would be wise to hasten your training," Master Yen Sid nodded, "I will prepare the equipment you will need for this journey and I will prepare stronger magic for you as well, Kairi."

"Thank you, Master Yen Sid," Kairi bowed in respect, barely able to contain her excitement.

_At long last! Now, it is my turn to help!_

"Are you sure that you are ready for this?" Riku asked, looking into the Keyblade apprentice's eyes.

Kairi nodded, eyes shining with conviction and a Sora-like grin on her face.

"Heh, you really are Sora's girlfriend," Riku chuckled to himself remembering the goofy smile of his best friend.

Kairi blushed, a look of mild irritation on her face, "Stop teasing me about him! It's not fair that I can't tease you about anyone!" Riku grinned.

"Ok, Sora, we should probably get going," this earned Riku a light punch to his arm. Kairi shot daggers at him before grabbing her stuff, bowing once more to Master Yen Sid, and leaving before Riku could say anything.

Riku shrugged before turning to Master Yen Sid, "I will not fail, Master."

"I trust that you will be fine. If anything is to happen, however, please take this," Master Yen Sid handed Riku two white disk with a yellow, circular, button in the middle, "this device will allow you and Kairi to communicate with me using magic. Use it to report anything unusual or important to me as well so I can monitor the situation. When you are about to land on this world, contact me and I will give your further instructions."

"And one more thing. Ensure, at all costs, that Kairi does not fall into the hands of our enemies. She is invaluable as Keyblade wielder, but even more so as a Princess of Heart. She is a strong soul, but our enemies are ruthless."

"Understood," Riku nodded his head, "I will be off now."

Yen Sid nodded, "I wish you luck, Riku."

Riku returned the nod as the newly dubbed Keyblade Master left the room.

Walking out into the clearing, Kairi waited for Riku as she looked up at the stars.

"I wonder which world it is up there…" she murmured to herself as Riku walked up to her.

"Are you ready to go?" Riku asked?

"Yes," Kairi nodded, and together, they pressed the buttons on their Armor. The Armor was much more lightweight then Kairi had expected. If she remembered correctly, the design for her suit of Armor resembled that of Armor belonging to a Keyblade master known as Aqua. She noticed the various shades of red on her Armor as she summoned Destiny's Embrace to her armored hand, pointing the keyblade towards the sky as she aimed. A beam of light shot out of the very tip, summoning a portal to the Lanes In-between. Then, chucking her keyblade at the sky, a vehicle appeared (the vehicle also designed after Master Aqua's), and jumping on, she looked towards Riku.

Riku dawned Armor that was designed to look very similar to the Armor, if Kairi's memory served correct, once worn by a Keyblade wielder known as Terra. The armor was silver in color, with yellow streaks and plating showing up in occasional spots. Grasping Way to the Dawn, and with the portal already summoned by Kairi, Riku chucked his Keyblade in a similar matter into the air, summoning a vehicle of his own (said vehicle resembling that of Terra's) to his side. He jumped on, looked at Kairi and nodded in anticipation.

Kairi returned the nod, and looking to the portal in the sky, their vessels blasted off confidently together as they embarked on their journey of unknown proportions.

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><p><strong>Well, there you have it. With the plot officially set up, now we can dive into the good stuff. <strong>

**Fortunately, I didn't have to make up the Dark Spirit's for this story-line, although I did attempt to give them a bit more of a Heartless/Nobody mentality; for anyone who has not seen Legend of Korra, Dark Spirits already existed as a threat to her in Book 2: Spirits. Also, Raava and Vaatu, if you don't already know, as well as the Avatar origin story, are all official canon.**

**I will try my best to also start developing Kairi in particular. Since she hasn't received much development in-game, writing her is particularly challenging, although I did want to include some information on Sora before I completely left the exposition (which is why I threw in some romantic references). My goal is to make her someone who is ready for Kingdom Hearts III, whatever that will mean, so I'm still looking forward to developing her.**

**One more thing to note: in the case of complex character design (Raava and Vaatu) as well as objects (the Armor), I will try to describe them through reference, but to avoid confusion, I might just refer you to a basic design and have you look it up yourself (since some of these designs are very out there, in no better words).**

**Chapter 3 will be up as soon as I can get to it, but it will likely take more time than it did for me to put up Chapter 2 since it will be critical as to how the storyline proceeds after the exposition. Thank you for reading and please review!**


	3. Water

**Here's the third installment to Book Four: Light. I'm not going to say anything other than that it's about to get very interesting very fast. Enjoy!**

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><p>The In-Between, in its vast and seemingly infinite space, felt somehow contained as Riku and Kairi set out on their mission, as if a cylindrical barrier was surrounding them. Both Riku and Kairi have traveled between worlds before, but traveling the Lanes Between in their Armor was a far different experience than flying wildly in a Gummi Ship or stepping through a Corridor of Darkness. Sticking to the path seemed much more essential and it required much more skill to ride these vessels; make one wrong move and the Keyblade wielders could be faced with being stranded in space, getting separated from each other or crashing right into another world.<p>

The first thing Riku needed to do when he arrived is contact Master Yen Sid when they approached the world. From there, Kairi and he would need to choose a place to land a little bit further from any major cities to ensure that they aren't spotted from the sky by a massive amount of people. As to what they needed to do from there Riku didn't know, but trouble always seems to find its way towards Keybearers, so he trusted that it wouldn't be too difficult to pick up what he needed to do.

The world Riku and Kairi were approaching was absolutely huge, bigger than any world they have ever encountered other than The World That Never Was. Unlike the Nobody's home world, however, this world wasn't in the least menacing; rather, the world the Avatar inhabited seemed serene and peaceful from a distance. Riku could tell, however, that what they saw was hardly representative of this world. For one, Riku could not see or sense the Spirit World; in many regards, it felt like just like any other world. The second thing to note was that he couldn't sense any Darkness radiating from this world. Riku took this as a good sign, but grew weary in the thought, knowing from Master Yen Sid that Darkness very much existed in this world. Perhaps the Darkness and the Spirit World manifested on a different plane of existence? Riku could only hypothesize as he gave Kairi a signal to halt and grabbed his communicator.

Kairi drew near the Keyblade Master, and while her face was impossible to read underneath that armor, Riku could sense her anticipation.

Riku and Kairi could make out the face of Yen Sid in the communicator, who gave a nod as the communication stabilized.

"I see that you have made it safely," Yen Sid contently smiled, "I have finally prepared the magic Kairi will need when you enter this world. Kairi," Yen Sid beckoned for her to come closer to the screen as Riku turned the screen towards her. Yen Sid then gathered magic in his hand, where various reds, blues, yellows, and other vibrant colors synthesized into a bright, white orb of light. From there, Yen Sid allowed the white orb to pass through the communicator slowly and carefully. The orb reappeared as it exited the monitor on Kairi's side, passing through her armor as her body and heart absorbed the magic, becoming a part of her.

"I have granted you the elemental powers of fire, ice, air, and lightening; the cosmic powers of time and gravity; the ailments of poison, sleep, and confusion, the defensive ability of reflection, and the transcendent power of light. Use them as you see it, Princess of Heart," Kairi nodded as she felt the warmth and power of her stronger magic envelop her.

"When you exit the portal and break through the atmosphere, land near the great walled city of Ba Sing Se. From there, enter the city's Upper Ring. I had already sent Lea ahead of you on a reconnaissance mission to collect intelligence, so note every observation he makes, no matter how minute. Blending in and wearing the traditional clothing of that region's people is critical, for drawing the attention of the new Organization XIII could compromise your mission. Your Armor can also change form, so I would recommend concealing it in any way you can as well."

"Above all, you cannot disclose information about other worlds or about the Keyblade to any other individuals than the Avatar or the new Keybearer," Master Yen Sid emphasized, "for that would be considered meddling in the affairs of other worlds and such meddling can have dire consequences."

"Understood," Kairi said. Riku just nodded.

"One more thing; this world has different properties than the rest, as I have told you. I do not know how this may affect you when you enter, but be prepared for any eventuality."

"I will keep that in mind," Riku stated, looking at Kairi, who nodded in agreement.

"I wish you luck. If either of you run into any problems, contact me so that I can offer any wisdom or advice you may need. If it becomes necessary, I will send reinforcements."

"Got it," Riku said, "I will report to you again when we have contacted Lea."

Master Yen Sid nodded as Riku signed off, looked to Kairi and opened a portal.

"Prepare yourself for anything; I've never landed in a world using this method, so it might be a bumpy ride," Riku smiled, giving two thumbs up, "but good luck, though!"

"Are you trying to give me a Death Flag?" Kairi rolled her eyes.

"Anyways, stick closely to me and we won't get separated," Riku placed both hands back on his vessel and flew into the portal, Kairi following closely. The portal, unlike before, felt turbulent, which Kairi immediately contributed to the roaring upper atmosphere as she emerged from the portal. Her red cape was fluttering in every imaginable direction; the sky was filled with storm clouds, the gales were mercilessly knocking her vessel around. Electricity was flying in every direction and Kairi set up a Reflectga to repel any stray bolts. Trying to keep the vessel under control and keeping up magic for a long period of time began draining Kairi fast. As she emerged from the upper atmosphere, past the storm clouds, a heavy blizzard smashed against her Reflectga, making visibility a challenge. Reflectga wasn't meant to be set up for long and the frost began corroding at her barrier and impairing her vision. Thinking on her feet, Kairi created a ring of Fira magic around her, dispelling the barrier and bringing the Fire closer to her to keep her Armor from freezing completely. In a last, desperate attempt, she tried to steer her vessel towards the eye of the storm.

Strength fading, Kairi saw a cave in the distance, but by the time she approached it, her strength left her as her Fira magic dispersed and, finally, her vessel losing energy completely. She could see the snowy, rocky, merciless terrain underneath her, the hills looking like jagged spikes ready to impale her limb body. Kairi's eyes stung from the battering wind as she began descending slowly, her closing naturally as her body fell limp, descending more rapidly than before.

Kairi was freefalling.

_Falling…_

_Falling…_

_Falling into darkness…_

Kairi snapped awake, her vessel disappearing as she summoned her Keyblade. She immediately tried to summon one of her newest Spells, Zero Gravitga. Having long since been drained, only a weak anti-gravity field formed around her, easing her descent greatly, but not stopping it. With Riku holding the supplies for their trip and without any Ethers and Mega-Elixirs, Kairi was out of options. She braced for impact, moving her arms up in front of her face to shield herself.

Kairi could not believe what she saw next. The snow beneath her seemed to move with her arms, moving upward and melting into water to form a cushion of water. Kairi hit the water, but the water moved around her to ease her fall without severely injuring her, moving with her arms as she uncovered her face. As Kairi moved her arms down, the water softly fell around her into the snow, freezing instantaneously.

"W-what was that?" Kairi's eyes widened, "my magic ran out, but the water moved itself to cushion my fall. So how did that happen?" Kairi looked perplexed, but feeling weaker and her Armor beginning to freeze, she slowly got up and moved sluggishly to the cave. Taking cover from the storm, she deactivated her Armor, leaving only her pink mini-dress, a white halter top, her sneakers, black spanks, and her Armor on both of her shoulders. She took off the Armor and kept it nearby as a precaution so that it would not freeze her.

* * *

><p>It has been hours since Kairi has landed in this desolate, barren tundra. Riku was nowhere to be found. The storm relentlessly ranged on. She couldn't tell whether it was day or night outside with the sky being so dark. Kairi needed to wait until her magic returned to her so that she could travel out of this frozen hell without risking the loss of shelter. If the storm could seize or even lighten slightly, she would have higher odds of escaping as well.<p>

Kairi had made progress into making herself more comfortable. She remembered learning in Yen Sid's study about a society of people who lived in the tundra and used the ice blocks to keep themselves insulated. Using her keyblade and a small amount of fire and ice magic, Kairi carved several blocks out of the frozen ground using the sharp edge of her Keyblade heated with fire magic, carried them to the entrance of her shelter, and refroze them with ice magic. She repeated this process several times, stacking the blocks on top of each other until she formed a crude, corbel arch, providing an opening to her effective, but crude shelter built.

Kairi also tinkered with the water, using her fingers to shift the water into various shapes before allowing it to settle into the snow once again to freeze. Her first priority was to keep herself warm, her second to keep herself hydrated, her new ability granting her the ability to satisfy both needs. Kairi learned quickly that she could manipulate the temperature of the water and used this advantage to superheat some of the snow into a mild steam, keeping herself warm. She also turn a little of the snow into drinkable water to avoid needing to eat snow. Keeping the steam warn, however, required a fair amount of energy, and so Kairi could not keep the air warm too often, just enough to avoid freezing to death.

After what felt like half a day, Kairi began to see lights glow from the outside of her shelter. Removing the residual steam from her skin to avoid frostbite, Kairi stepped outside her shelter, the bitter whips of the cold wind slapping her skin. She stared into the sky. The eye of the storm seemed to have made its way over her shelter above, but this isn't what caught Kairi's eye. An aurora covered the sky, dancing in brilliant colors, and Kairi was reminded of the vivid colors she often saw in romantic art. This entrancing light…it was calling her, as if voices from another world were pleading with her. Kairi tried to listen, but her desperate situation pulled her back as she realized this was the time to move. Kairi entered her temporary shelter, superheating her Armor before equipping it once more. Activating the Armor with a brilliant flash of light, she stepped outside of the shelter, throwing her keyblade to summon her vessel. Looking back at her shelter, she smiled wearily before flying off into the distance.

Kairi flew into the eye of the storm, flying past the aurora and above the clouds, with no idea as to which direction to follow. She flew over the clouds, using her Reflectga sparingly to deflect any lightning that headed in her direction, but doing her best to conserve her magic. Occasionally, her new ability allowed her to part the water molecules in the clouds impeding her way, but her ability still had it limits and she also used it sparingly, focusing on steering her vessel past the storm. After nearly an hour of flying, the storm seemed to lessen in strength below and Kairi would occasionally check below for any signs of life. After five or six times of disappointment, Kairi was able to make out smoke coming from a distance. Not wanting to lose her lead, Kairi braved the lighter, but persistent snow below as she desperately made her way to the first sign of civilization.

Kairi was rewarded with the sight of a city made of snow. Several tents, flying a blue flag decorated with a crescent shaped moon and waves protruding from the crescent inside a bigger circle, inhabited the outskirts of the city nearby a vast ocean that extended for miles. Several large, sailed boats could be seen at the docks, bobbing in the rough waves. Larger, more complex igloos sat inside the perimeter of an ice wall that extended over a mile long, where several smokestacks exhaled the smell of cinders and embers from their pipes into the atmosphere. In the epicenter of the city, the ice carved streets met where an intricate ice building, a shrine of frozen beauty, commanded attention from the surrounding igloo structures. Kairi's was relieved beyond words to find this civilization, but as her relief settled in, her energy began to falter. She attempted to land outside the city, but the winds carried her towards the tents. Kairi managed to lower her velocity and altitude greatly before lightly crashing into the snow below, the snow cushioning her fall once again. Landing in front of the largest tent in the military-like formation, Kari fell off her vessel as it disappeared, her Armor deactivating as she passed out in the snow.

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><p><strong>Well, this was an unexpected chapter for me to write. I initially had something a little different planned, but I guess the writing spirit got to me and I ended up really liking how this chapter turned out. Anyways, I'll try and have the next chapter up as soon as I can, but I hope you enjoyed. Please review! Telling me how I did helps me write better in the future.<strong>


	4. The Waterbender & the Princess of Heart

**Well, here's Chapter 4, my longest chapter yet in word count. I must say, though, after days of work, it was a rather satisfying chapter to write in the end. This chapter was rather unexpected as well for its intended purpose, perhaps because of the unexpected nature of the previous chapter, but regardless, I hope you enjoy Chapter 4 of Book Four: Light!**

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><p>Silence…<p>

The perpetual silence…

The perpetual darkness….

She has been here before…in this state of being. When was the last time…? She tried to dive into the depths of her memory, but failed to produce anything.

Who was she? Why was she here? Why did her body feel so weak?

"Kairi!"

She felt her body shake.

"Kairi! Kairi! Open your eyes," she heard the voice of a male. His voice sounded familiar.

Was her name Kairi?

'It's no use," another voice declared, a much deeper voice, "That girl has lost her heart. She cannot wake up."

Has she lost her heart? She didn't feel like she had lost her heart.

"What? You…" the voice suddenly cut off. She felt as if her body was being dragged away, moved into a different plane of existence.

* * *

><p>"Do you think there is anything we can do for her?" a soft, adult female voice asked.<p>

"I don't know for sure," an older male spoke, "she was in critical condition when we found her. I'm surprised that she is even alive after what she must have endured."

"I will try to heal her as much as I can," a new feminine voice, younger than the last, broke in with steady determination, "but whether or not she wakes up depends on her own will at this point."

"But what do you think that thing in her hand was…?" the voices dissipated as her consciousness retreated once again. She could not make sense of any of what she was hearing. Did she lose her heart? Was she injured?

* * *

><p>"But first, you must give the princess back her heart," the deep voice commanded. She realized that this voice overlapped, as if the entity were of two people rather than one. One of those voices also sounded very familiar. As she tried to listen again, she began to feel immense pain, but the agonizing voice was not her own cry, but that of the boy. The familiar male voice grunted.<p>

"S—a" a third, higher pitched voice cried. She couldn't make out the name, frustrating her. She wanted to help the boy and attempted to move her body, but failed to produce any movement. She felt powerless, drained…

"Don't you see yet? The princess' heart is responding. It has been there all along. Kairi's heart rests within you!" she heard the shuffling of feet. Was she a princess as well? Frustration settled in; if only she could move!

"Kairi…Kairi's inside me?" the boy realized.

The voices faded out once again.

* * *

><p>"I think her heart is responding! Her pulse is getting stronger," the younger female voice declared. Her sense of touch was becoming more sophisticated as she felt warm, coursing water envelop her body from the neck down. She was clothed, but neither her clothes nor her skin felt wet; rather, she simply felt the water's soothing presence. Vitality returned to her fast, as if she were being shocked back into reality. As she attempted to move her body once again, her consciousness drowned.<p>

"S-she moved! Get her some food and fresh water! Keep this room as incubated as you can…!"

* * *

><p>"So, I shall release you now, Princess," the deep voice declared as she heard his footsteps approaching her, "complete the Keyhole with your power." This wasn't right. She needed to do something. She felt no response coming from her body.<p>

"Open the door! Lead me into everlasting darkness!" She couldn't wait any longer. She was tired of feeling helpless. Instead of feeling frustrated that she couldn't act, she needed to turn her agitation into motivation. If she was going to fight back, she needed her heart, and so with every fiber of her being in agonizing pain, she reached out of her body and towards her heart within the boy. Pain was replaced with warmth as she could feel the embrace of light surrounding her perpetual darkness. Her heart called out a single name.

* * *

><p>"Sora!" Kairi woke up, sitting straight up in shock. She looked around.<p>

Was that a dream?

No. That was a memory, a lost memory from a year ago, after she lost her heart. She checked her memories and found that they were all neatly placed back into her mind. Kairi then opened her hand. Her keyblade appeared out of her hand and she stared at it, feeling reassured.

"W-what is that?" she looked up and found a girl around her age, sixteen or so, standing there. She was about Kairi's height, possessing a darker, tan skin tone, with motherly blue eyes. Her hair was braided, with loops falling in front of her face, but her long, brunette hair fell freely upon a warm, blue and purple parka with puffy white fur lining the ends and a yellow crescent decorating the middle.

Kairi then realized where she was. Looking at the white walls surrounding her, she concluded that she was in not quite an igloo, but rather a solid building made of snow. Several, decorative vases also crafted out of snow surrounded her and various animal skins decorated the walls. Kairi then looked down and noticed that she was in a pool of water, but noticed even more shockingly that she was dressed in different clothes, wearing a blue and white robed tunic, with a sash around her waist.

"Are you a spirit?" the girl asked. Kairi didn't know how to respond, but rather used her keyblade to try to stand up, only to cringe and fall. The girl ran over to her and helped her back into a sitting up position, "You should stay still. You haven't fully recovered yet."

Kairi grunted, laying her keyblade across her lap. She was too nervous to dismiss the key until she could think of a response to give the girl.

"Um…I'm not a spirit," Kairi responded, "but…I received this key from them." Kairi did not want to lie to the girl, but she could not speak about the Keyblade without meddling in the affairs of other worlds.

"I see. I apologize if I offended you. I do not know much about the Spirit World other than what Aang has told me," the girl bent down and extended a diplomatic hand, "my name is Katara."

"Kairi," Kairi dismissed the keyblade and met Katara's hand as she smiled.

"Thank you for saving my life," Kairi gave a deep bow with her hands tucked in as Katara smiled and rubbed the back of her head.

"I'm just glad that you made it. You were in very poor condition when we found you."

Katara moved to a small, ice table nearby the pool Kairi was lying in. She grabbed several plates of food and a pitcher of water and delivered it to the injured Kairi, who silently thanked her for the meal with a nod.

"So what happened to you?" Katara asked.

"Well…" Kairi trailed off.

"It's ok if you don't want to remember, but I do need to know enough to figure out how I need to treat you."

Kairi explained what happened to her, about the storm, her shelter, and how she tried to find the nearest town. Kairi didn't include her new ability with the water, traveling using her vessel, or crashing into the town. She didn't want to reveal anything about her abilities or how she ended up in that situation. Fortunately, Katara seemed to respect her boundary and allowed Kairi to eat as she moved to the table to look a few things up in a scroll. Finding the technique she needed, Katara wrapped the scroll as Kairi finished eating.

"Now, relax while I try to heal your wounds," Kairi nodded as Katara began moving the water, bending it around her as a soft glow overtook Kairi's body. In shock, Kairi got up, the water moving with her hands as she realized what Katara was doing.

"Wait, you have the water ability too," Kairi asked, surprised. She originally though the Keyblade granted her the ability to manipulate water, but this girl seemed to break that hypothesis. Perhaps it was the world granting her this power, as Yen Sid suggested.

"Of course. Ever since four years ago, there have been more and more waterbenders in the Southern Water Tribe. Have you never seen waterbending before?"

"No, I have. Actually," Kairi moved a little bit of the water next to her with her fingers, manipulating the water to flow around her hand and back into the water.

"You're a waterbender!" Katara gleamed at Kairi ecstatically, but then settled into an inquisitive look, "but I've never seen you before. Are you from the Northern Water Tribe?"

"Huh?" Kairi looked at Katara in confusion.

"Or judging by your light clothing, are you from the swamps?" Katara inquired.

"Why would I be from a swamp? No, I'm from an island far away," Kairi explained, laughing nervously.

"Interesting…there must be another place where waterbenders live that isn't documented yet," Katara gleamed, "Tell me, was your village untouched by the Fire Nation?"

"The Fire who?" Kairi was only getting more and more confused, but kept composed. She needed to tread carefully or risk blowing her cover.

"You mean you don't know anything about the Fire Nation? Surely, you know about the war, right?" Kairi tilted her head.

"What war?"

"Then…there can be only one explanation," Katara reasoned, "were you trapped in an Iceberg?"

_Is this girl insane?_

"I can see that you're still tired. I'm sorry that I'm badgering you with too many questions," Katara sighed backing off, "it's just, the Fire Nation wiped out most of the waterbenders during the war except those protected behind the great walls of the Northern Tribe and a few scattered in the swamps. I've been spending the last four years trying to rebuild the Southern Water Tribe, but the war has left us with very few waterbenders, even with our sister tribe trying to help us. I always get excited at the idea of meeting other waterbenders."

Kairi could see the genuineness behind Katara's eyes and even some of their weariness. Katara was a determined girl with an honorable goal, and Kairi grew to respect the young waterbender. If she didn't need to find the Avatar immediately, she would want to try and help Katara anyway she could.

That's right! She needed to find the Avatar, but first…

"Katara?"

"Yes?"

"Please tell me," Kairi's expression turned dead serious, "Did anybody in this village see a silver-haired boy with a silver, yellow, black jacket?"

"I'm sorry, but no. Was he important to you?"

"Yes. He was a dear friend of mine, but we were separated," Kairi looked down in disappointment. Katara placed a reassuring hand on the keyblade wielder's shoulder.

"We'll find him. I'll make sure to tell my father and see what he can do," Katara moved with new determination to the door before turning back, "I'll be right back; I'm going to talk with my father and see about sending a rescue party."

Katara left the room, leaving Kairi to her own devices. She decided it would be smart to use this time to repair her more serious wounds. The crash seemed to crack a few of her ribs and her body was bruised up in various places. While it was nothing fatal, thanks to Katara, Kairi looked over her shoulder. Not seeing a person in sight, Kairi summoned her keyblade, casting Curaga on herself. Curaga's soothing effects took place immediately as the magic mended her broken ribs and eliminated her bruises. Her body still felt weary and her muscles ached, but it was nothing that food, water, and some rest couldn't quickly fix.

Kairi knew it wasn't smart to get too heavily involved with these people, but she faced two issues. First, her condition, even after casting Curaga, was still questionable. Unlike the rigor of battle, Kairi's body faced the harsh elements and had nearly faced death. Kairi knew that, with magic and Katara's waterbending, she would be back to her prime in a matter of days, but even so, she faced another problem: she had neither a clue of where she was nor an idea of where to go. Master Yen Sid mentioned heading to the walls of Ba-Sing-Se when they arrived, and considering the walls around this frozen city, perhaps she was already there. It would be wise to see if Lea was in the city if she was correct, but considering Katara mentioned that the city was still being rebuilt, Kairi was doubtful that she landed in the right spot.

The third problem was arguably the most critical of her issues: she had no idea where Riku was. All of her supplies were with Riku, including the communicator that contacts Master Yen Sid, and Kairi was still very inexperienced in the field. Despite her training, Kairi had no real combat experience and was hoping to learn from Riku's example, but circumstances will require for her to take matters into her own hands. She would have to begin this journey much like Sora did, but even Sora had allies; Kairi would be very much alone on this adventure.

_This is no time to complain, though. What I need to figure out is where the Avatar is. Even without Riku, I should be doing everything I can to find him and protect this world._

Kairi decided that, despite her concerns, it would be best to try and stay in the village until she was in better form. She didn't want to impose on Katara or get her any more involved than she already was, however, and so Kairi also decided to find a remote place close to the village to rest. It would not be a problem to create a shelter, considering Kairi's new waterbending ability, and Kairi was taught (during her training) basic survival skills in case an emergency ever were to occur, including how to fish. Before she could do all of this, however, she needed to extract any information Katara might have about the Avatar or Riku. Kairi wasn't fond of using Katara's hospitality to gain information, but she didn't have much of an option considering the extreme circumstances.

Katara returned with a decorated staff marked with various blue and purple patterns. Katara helped Kairi out of the water, waterbending any water still left on Kairi before handed Kairi the staff.

"Here, this should help your balance as you walk. You should take it easy for a few days and not do any rigorous activity. I talked to my father and they are sending out a rescue team in the direct you came from. Hopefully, with any luck, we'll find him."

"Thank you for all of your help, Katara," Kairi smiled, taking the staff gratefully as she wearily moved, "if I may ask, do you know where my Armor is?"

Katara eyebrow raised in confusion before she realized what Kairi meant, "Oh yes; I had my older brother, Sokka, examine it. It was beginning to freeze and the metalwork was beginning to dent, so he insisted on repairing the metal to accommodate it to the colder temperatures. My brother used to train under a master swordsman and had returned to the Southern Water Tribe after years of training to teach swordsmanship as part of the rebuilding effort."

"Wow," Kairi awed, "he must be very wise."

"Well, he can be an idiot sometimes and can be very insensitive, not to mention he struggled for a long time before he found his calling," Katara rolled her eyes, but then smiled, "but he's innovative and always manages to find a way out of any difficult situation. In many ways, there are few people in the world like Sokka. I don't know whether to call that a good thing or not." Katara and Kairi laughed.

"He reminds me of Riku a little bit," Kairi smiled, "Riku's always been a bit of a loner and struggled a lot himself with finding the right path. In the end though, you can always rely on him. In many ways, he's like an older brother to me."

"Riku actually sounds a lot more like another guy I know," Katara folded her arms, "Zuko…he struggled a lot too with finding the right path, struggled to the point to where he hunted down a person very close to me for a very long time. He believed capturing the Avatar would restore his honor. What he didn't realize was that his path was really meant to be alongside us, teaching the Avatar how to firebend and helping to restore peace to the world. He eventually realized this, and after a few spats and missions, Zuko became a very dedicated and reliable man; he even saved my life. Now he's the ruler of an entire nation."

"He does sound a lot like Riku," Kairi smiled, but then realized something, "Wait, did you just mention the Avatar? Do you know him?"

"Yeah," Katara smiled fondly, "he's someone very close to me. I've known him for a long time, although it's been a long time since I've last seen Aang. I know he's fine and I occasionally will get a letter from him, but I can't help but worry about him every once in a while." Katara frowned.

"I understand what you're going through. It is difficult to be a part from someone you care deeply about," Kairi would occasionally wonder where Sora was, as he was still completing his Mark of Mastery exam. Master Yen Sid had taught Kairi, though, that all heart are connected and that particularly strong bonds can transcend any distance and can even lead lost hearts back to where they are needed most. Kairi has even seen this firsthand, for this bond lead Sora and Riku out of the Realm of Darkness after their fight with Xemnas. This bond is how Kairi knew that Sora was ok, and Kairi could tell that Katara and Aang, unquestionably, had this bond.

"But, I know that you will be reunited one day," Kairi reassured Katara, "on my island, there is a certain fruit called a Paopu fruit. They say if you share this fruit with someone that your destinies will become intertwined. After traveling for a little bit and overcoming some very big obstacles in my life, I learned that you don't need a fruit or some other symbol to know that you're connection to someone else is strong," Kairi placed a hand over her chest, "The proof of your connection is already in your heart, and I can tell that your hearts, your destinies, are intertwined."

Katara stood there for a minute before sighing in relief and smiling, "Thank you, Kairi. You wouldn't believe how much I needed that right now, and here I am trying to make you feel better." The two of them laughed. Kairi was glad that she was able to help Katara in any little way she could. In a way, she even helped herself with her own anxiety over Sora. Perhaps she could finally let that worry go and focus on getting stronger herself; Kairi knew that would be the best way to move forward.

"Oh, one more thing," Katara looked at Kairi, "do you know where a city called Ba Sing Se is?"

"If you're looking for Ba Sing Se, you're a long ways away from it," Katara leaned against the wall, "the city's all the way over in the far eastern region of the Earth Kingdom. Considering we're at the South Pole, it would take a month if you were to sail all the way there. If you flew, however, it could take anywhere from a few days to a week depending on how fast and how long you intend on flying, but war balloons are strictly for military uses, and since Appa is with Aang…"

Kairi didn't quite understand that last part, but as long as her Armor was fixed, she might be able to reach Lea in Ba Sing Se provided she has a map. While this would be the most logical course of action, Kairi, however, was more hopeful in her mission in finding the Avatar alone. Even if Katara didn't know where he was exactly, at least she could have some clue as to where to look. After she finds the Avatar and convinces Aang to come with her, she could find a way to meet up with Lea later and devise a way to find Riku, if Riku wasn't already with him.

"Thank you, Katara," Katara nodded as she moved towards the door, beckoning for Kairi.

"I had some of the nurses make a bed for you. You will need your rest," Kairi moved towards the door, Katara hovering near Kairi to help guide her walk. Feeling relieved with having a plan, Kairi gladly accepted Katara's help, inching her way towards the exit before her consciousness slipped, Katara catching Kairi's body as she passed out, the staff rattling as it impacted the floor.

* * *

><p><strong>I find, as I write these chapters, that much of what comes out while in the writing zone is hardly what I ever expect. I oftentimes find this reassuring, for it reminds me that writing, in itself, is lively. Writing breathes life into our imagination, making it tangible, and much like life, unexpected thoughts and events can occur that express what is truly needed at that moment. <strong>

**For example, I am glad I was able to resolve Kairi's original role in the games as a maiden awaiting Sora's return into someone more capable of acting independently as she becomes a Keyblade Wielder and that by doing this, I didn't have to sacrifice that internal connection that she has with him; rather, I can transform this connection into resolve.**

**I will have the next chapter up as soon as I can. Please review, or even favorite, to show me that I'm doing well!**


	5. The Winter Solstice Festival

**Well, here it is! I had to put in a lot of research into doing this chapter in particular, so I likely won't do something this intricate in future chapters. I find more and more as a writer that you have to let your characters lead you down the path they want to take rather than dictating their actions completely. Regardless, I do hope you enjoy the treat I created for the Avatar fans in particular.**

**Also, I've been debating this and I believe this chapter definitely needs music at a certain part, so I'll leave in brackets a song I recommend you play (it'll usually be on YouTube or something). The Avatar fans will definitely know this piece, and I might do this in the future again or even visit past chapters and place recommended music, notably with some Kingdom Hearts pieces.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>Weak, frail, pathetic…<em>

_ Stupidly weak…_

Kairi coughed into her arm before flipping onto her stomach, lying down on her cot. She shivered, moving her arms to re-tuck herself underneath the covers of penguin-seal fat insolating her weakened body. Grumbling, Kairi stared at the patterns on the wall, tracing them in her mind. The room she was in reminded her of the one she woke up in, but somehow more distant.

It had been almost a week since Kairi first woke up and despite Katara's healing and casting Curaga when nobody was looking, Kairi could barely walk for fifteen minutes around Katara's large home without feeling fatigue and returning to her bed, defeated. Katara told her that her body temperature, despite her efforts, dropped too low and that Kairi suffered symptoms of mild hypothermia when they found her. Katara remarked how lucky Kairi was for getting off with such a mild case despite the conditions as well as how resourceful she was with her waterbending. Kairi managed to recover from the hypothermia quickly – in no less than a day thanks to the surprisingly advanced medical system of the Water tribe and their healers, which was comparable to a modern hospital back in Destiny Islands – but not without residual pneumonia.

While Katara and the other healers told her that her pneumonia should wear off in a week, Kairi's body remained restless as her mind griped about Riku's disappearance. The men of the Water Tribe were unable to find any sign of Riku and part of Kairi feared the possibility that he might have not survived the storm. Kairi was lucky enough to pick up waterbending, but she could not say the same for the Keyblade Master. Kairi did have faith in Riku, however, and another part of her hoped that he had moved on and found a way to Ba-Sing-Se to meet up with Lea.

Katara was the real reason behind her ease of mind with Riku and her only reason for remaining in the Water Tribe instead of moving on. True, Kairi often had hours to herself, but occasionally, Katara would visit her to check up on her condition and to keep her company. Katara would often recount her adventures with the Avatar and her friends – her time in the North Pole training under her grandfather, Paku; about Ba-Sing-Se and the Dai-Le, their visits to Kyoshi Island (and a foamy mouth guy); Omashu and King Bumi; their time infiltrating the Fire Nation and the invasion plan; a man named Zuko and his rough past; and her fight against the Princess of the Fire Nation – and Kairi would intently listen.

"And right before she could strike, I waterbended the water up and around us and froze it all at once. Azula remained frozen as I melted the water around me and chained up her wrists, tying them to the grate. I felt like I was holding onto my breath for dear life, but as soon as I tightened the bonds, I unfroze all of the water, gasping for air," Kairi looked at her, astonished.

_"Wow! You're amazing, Katara," Kairi beamed._

_ "Thanks…" Katara grinned, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment._

"_No really! You're a really powerful waterbender. I wish I was more like you!" _

Kairi would often speak vaguely about Destiny Islands and her friends, Sora and Riku, to Katara in return. Kairi could not tell Katara everything, but considering how open the waterbender was to her, Kairi felt that she could trust Katara with her own experiences…at least the better ones.

_"So we decided one day to build a raft and just see how far the waves could take us," Kairi reminisced, "the world seemed so small at the time, but I never knew how big it really was."_

_ "What happened? Did you really build one?" Katara leaned in._

_ "Yeah, we did…" Kairi smiled bitter-sweetly._

_ "And?"_

_ "A storm hit the following night, a really bad storm. I went to the island to tie in the raft, but the storm had already claimed it before I could get to it. The waves were becoming too powerful and I couldn't return to my house, so I decided to take shelter in my secret hideaway in a small cave near the center of the island to wait out the storm. I must have been tired because I don't remember anything after I entered the cave," Kairi knew what happened after that, but only because Sora told her and Kairi couldn't explain what happened next to Katara._

_ "So how did you get off the island?" Katara asked._

_ "I got off the island rather unexpectedly, actually. Even without the raft, Sora managed to find a way off the island the next day and I ended up traveling with him for a while before I returned. The places we traveled were rather small and remote, but Sora made a lot of good friends along the way. Sora's always been like that," Kairi smiled._

Kairi closed her eyes briefly, sighing. Katara told her that she should recover in a matter of days, so all that Kairi could do was rest. Kairi promised herself after her recovery that she would try and find Riku and head to Ba-Sing-Se, but frustration still occupied the Keyblade wielder's thoughts at her own weakness.

"Kairi?" Katara entered through the arch, moving aside a blue sheet that acted as a door.

"Are you awake?" Katara asked in a whisper.

"Yeah," Kairi stretched her muscles before sitting up.

"I have some good news for you! I was talking to the other healers and they think it would be a good idea for you to get some more exercise. Not only that, but the Winter Solstice festival is beginning today, so we thought it would be a good opportunity to ease your mind a little."

"Thanks, Katara. I think that's just what I needed," Kairi nodded her head in appreciation.

"I'll help you up," Katara walked over before Kairi held out her palm in refusal.

"I've got it," Kairi lifted herself off the bed, straining her legs and using a clump of covers as support in her hands. Kairi stood in place as she tried to find her balance, sighing in relief as her legs stopped shaking and her spine aligned with the icy floor.

"Do you think you can make it?" Katara asked.

"I'm good. Don't worry about me," Kairi remained determined as the two walked out of her lonesome bedroom and into the looming hallway ahead.

* * *

><p>"So, you're Kairi, eh?" a tan young man with a wolf tail pulling back his dark, ruffled hair gazed at her with wide eyes. He wore basic water tribe garb, a blue and white tunic, and displayed a sword on his back, with beautiful craftsmanship. A boomerang was also tucked away in a sheath next to his sword.<p>

Kairi was standing with Katara in front of a merchant's tent in town. The sun was beginning to set out in the distance, the rays reflecting harshly off the spears, swords, and shields lying on top of a tarp covering a counter made of ice. Pelts, pouches, and other kinds of merchandise lined the table, hugging the proudly displayed weapons.

"I guess Katara wasn't kidding when she said you were pretty."

The man received a punishing slap across the back of his head.

"Oww…I was kidding. That seriously hurt," he turned to the perpetrator, a pretty young woman his age with simple, brown hair and skin as fair as Kairi's. She was dressed slightly different; wearing a similar parka as the other women, but hers was green instead of blue and displayed an octagonal insignia in the middle.

"That's what you get when you flirt with other women, Sokka," she placed two hands on her hips indignantly.

"You know I didn't mean it, Suki," Sokka tenderly wrapped his arm around Suki's waist, "after all, I carved that necklace for you, didn't I?"

"Hmm…you're off the hook…this time," Suki glared for a brief moment jokingly, startling Sokka, before smiling and cuddling up next to him.

Katara leaned towards Kairi, whispering audibly, "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"I heard that!" Sokka walked away from Suki and mimicked Katara, "Sorry about my sister."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Katara crossed her arms.

"Hey, I'm just apologizing to our guest," Sokka taunted.

"You're so infuriating!" Katara's arms shook in frustration.

The siblings kept bickering, Kairi moving away from the entire mess. Suki rolled her eyes.

"This is normal. They actually are closer than you'd think," Kairi turned to Suki.

"I've never had siblings, but I always used to see Sora and Riku bicker and compete over the tiniest little things," Kairi laughed a little bit, "it's a little nostalgic, actually."

"Usually, Aang would resolve these little scrabbles, but after he left…it's interesting how things can change after one person leaves."

"I know the feeling," Kairi smiled.

"So I'll grab your Armor for you," Suki entered the tent to Sokka's shop briefly. Kairi could hear the clang of metal and the rustling of the tent before Suki emerged from the shop with the rerebraces in tow. A brown pelt with white lining covered the armor everywhere, including the sleeves that extended from the Armor originally, except for the buttons right in the middle.

"Sokka can explain the modifications better than I can. Sokka?" Suki looked at the siblings, witnessing the heat of the battle: Katara childishly pulling at Sokka's wolf tail and Sokka trying to pull her off without damaging his hair.

"Yes?" Sokka said sheepishly.

"That's enough playing with your sister for now."

Sokka grumbled as he freed himself from Katara's grasp and made his way behind the table, a disgruntled, childish look on his face.

"Now, if I have you attention," Sokka takes the Armor from Suki's hands, "Unfortunately, for these pieces of Armor, they will never see battle again…at least down here in the tundra. Metal such as this becomes brittle in the harsh winter conditions, making it essentially useless. I made modifications so that the metal can endure the cold for a brief period of time exposed, but they cannot be worn." Kairi looked disappointed.

"Don't worry, though. You're Armor should be completely wearable if you ever decide to leave the South Pole," Sokka reassured her, "and I even have a back-up prepared for you."

"Anyways, like I was saying, most metals naturally have a rough time in the cold, but an inventor friend of mine from the Northern Air Temple recently learned about a metal called aluminum. Not only is it incredibly common, but it can easily withstand cold temperatures! All I needed to do was get a few earthbenders to dig up some aluminum from the earth, forge the aluminum at a high temperature and bam! Weapons and armor that can resist the cold!"

Sokka then ducked underneath his ice table and set a replica of Kairi's armor on the table, also covered with a brown pelt with white lining, but the button gleamed metallic. Kairi picked up the new armor, and then set it next to the old Armor.

"You're new rerebraces should also be much more lightweight than your previous gear. I placed penguin fat underneath the pelt lining to ensure the metal remained insulated as much as..."

Kairi attention suddenly shifted from Sokka to her normal Armor as Kairi heard her Armor shake on the icy surface. The rerebraces flashed for a brief moment underneath the fur pelt before the Armor engulfed itself in an orb of light. The orb of light moved over the new rerebraces before slamming right into it, briefly engulfing the new piece of armor in light as the old Armor melded into the new. The light dissipated. A red crown insignia was left on the button of the new Armor that Sokka made for her.

"…possible…Ok, that's great. I've already seen enough spirit-y things for a lifetime, so I'm not even going to ask," Sokka turned his head, refusing to register what had just occurred.

After a few seconds, however, his eye peaked at the new Armor curiously before his head immediately shifted, "Ok, is nobody going to explain is?" Sokka pointed at the Armor, looking around at everybody's baffled faces for an explanation.

Kairi didn't even understand what just occurred. Master Yen Sid had never mentioned that the Armor acted on its own. Kairi did remember Master Yen Sid saying that the Armor was capable of changing form, however, so perhaps the Armor was trying to adapt to its new environment by fusing with the cold resistant rerebraces? Kairi decided, rather than continuing her internal game of twenty questions, to quickly come up with an excuse for the sudden transformation and try on the Armor to learn what happened.

"Well…as I told Katara, I have a deep connection to the Spirit World," Kairi lied, "my Armor is kinda special; it's not like normal armor," While Katara and Suki seemed to buy her excuse, Sokka eyebrow raised, his arms crossed. He remained distant, silent.

"I should try it on and see if it fits."

Kairi secured the rerebraces into place on her skinny, dark blue, white fur-lined parka. Kairi could sense the reinforced warmth of the fur as she shipped her arms through the sleeves. A perfect fit.

Kairi made a mental note to try and transform the Armor at a later time in privacy, but for now, Kairi decided to take her mind off the Armor and focus on enjoying the Winter Solstice festival with Katara and her friends. Sokka closed up his shop for the day, placing a nicely carved sign on his front table before walking away.

"Aren't you afraid somebody's going to steal anything?" Kairi asked him.

"Nope," Sokka waved his hand, dismissing any concern, "We're in the middle of the South Pole; where else can they go? Every boat that comes and leaves is monitored by the city and everything else is a wasteland. Besides, most people here know each other anyways and there are hardly ever any tourists."

Kairi shrugged her arms. This community seemed rather peaceful and Kairi knew this was a large world, but she was perplexed. Where are the evil spirits, the Heartless? Wouldn't the Organization have found her by now? This world seemed to be peaceful thanks to the Avatar."

_Was she really needed here?_

* * *

><p>The four of them walked down the icy streets towards the center of town through gathering crowds of people. Large totem poles made of ice lined the streets; ceremonial lanterns wrapped around these totems, lacing across the streets and illuminating the buildings in place of the darkening, evening sky. The large building from before – Kairi recognized this structure to be similar to that of a pagoda – towered over the city's center with intricately carved, detailed symbols and patterns of the Southern Water tribe decorating the exterior. Kairi marveled at the attention it commanded over the small city.<p>

"We built that structure to symbolize our new friendship with the Fire Nation," Katara explained, "Aang and Zuko believed that for our world to progress, nations needed to start communicating rather than living separately; exchanging ideas could be the first step towards healing old wounds and making the world a better place."

"Having your people, those hearts, connecting with one another and sharing wisdom is truly an amazing thing," Kairi placed a hand to her heart, "the connection between people is invaluable. I love it."

[Avatar Music-Cave Jivin']

"Come on, we're not going to be able to do anything standing around," Suki took Katara and Kairi's hand and pulled them with her. Sokka managed to keep up with the group of girls, whining "wait for me" as they weaved through crowds. Music filled the air as they approached the center of the city; icy buildings began taking the place of igloos; vendors with all kinds of steamy, hot food attracted all kinds of crowds with alluring fragrance. Suki finally lead them to the center of town, a hexagonal shaped clearing where six major streets converged, the large pagoda guarding the center of the Southern Water Tribe. A group of people in red clothing were playing all kinds of instruments in the courtyard, most of them being around their age.

"Those are some of Aang's friends when we were in the Fire Nation. He attended a school briefly and even threw them a dance party before we had to leave. After the war, a lot of them decided to be a roaming band, spreading music and dance across the Fire Nation and to the rest of the world," Katara crossed her arms, "Aang may be a little goofy at times, but he touched a lot of lives during our travels."

Sokka, finally catching up, bent over to catch his breath. He looked up, "Oh yeah, I remember these little Fire Nation brats," Sokka then began to stroke the air around his chin, as if he had a beard, in fond memory, "why haven't I grown out a beard yet?"

"Let's dance already," Suki grabbed Sokka's hand and pulled him into the fray of dancing people, leaving Katara and Kairi alone. A guy offered Kairi to dance, but she turned him away, feeling shy about dancing.

"You really should dance," Katara turned to her, "it's more fun than you'd think."

"Thanks, but I'm not much of a dancer," Kairi rubbed the back of her head, "and besides, you're not dancing either, Ms. Hypocritical." Somewhere in the crowd, Kairi could have sworn she heard Sokka laugh.

"Na. It's not really the same without Aang," Katara smiled, "he's a fantastic dancer."

"Then how about we change that," Kairi decided, holding out a hand, "I guess there's no point in standing around."

"But what about your sickness?" Katara asked, concerned.

"Well, you did say I should start moving around, right?" Kairi reasoned, "It might be good for me if I dance."

Katara considered this before Kairi took her hand and pulled her into the crowd. Kairi didn't know how to dance, so instead she decided to add in some of Riku's sparring moves to spice up her moves and improvise the rest. She started out by holding a crane stance, jumping from one foot to another, moving back and forth horizontally. She began settling into a horse stance, jumping from one side to another, her arms in a circular motion. Katara fell in foot with the familiar-looking movements, studying Kairi. Kairi then jumped back into a crane stance, and while keeping the circular flow of her arms, she jumped back and forth vertically now, maintaining the shift of her crane stances, Katara followed in suit, keeping her arms level with Kairi's, noticing the parallels.

_Her movements…they remind me of waterbending!_

Katara's epiphany leads her to tap Kairi's shoulder and as Kairi turned, Katara held out an arm, palm facing the sky. Katara would test to see how much Kairi knew; Kairi met her arm in the same stance, seeming to understand Katara's intentions. Katara was reminded of the night in the cave with Aang when he invited her to dance, except this wouldn't be a romantic dance; this would be a test to see Kairi's potential. The two began circling each other, Katara staring intently into Kairi's eyes for any sign of familiarity and found confident, understanding eyes staring back at her. Katara was the master and Kairi would fall suit into Katara's movements. A crowd began to gather around them, but neither of them noticed; the intensity of their dance, their spar, limited their perception of the rest of the world.

Katara threw out the first jab, which Kairi dodged gracefully, leading to Kairi swift retreat into a crane stance before stepping forward and jabbing upward. Katara moved underneath Kairi's jab in a crescent, moving her arms in a circular motion underneath. Katara kept a firm stance as she cut into Kairi's outstretched arm with her own, but Kairi expected this and moved elegantly to Katara's side, entering a side stance before twisting and moving up into a crane stance. Katara swiftly retreated forward, turning around to mirror Kairi's stance.

They began performing Kairi's move from earlier; moving back and forth sideways on their feet, Katara began to bend the water from the ice beneath, moving the water with her arms to make an infinity sign. Kairi nodded and began to mirror Katara, moving the water from the icy ground up and moving the water using similar movements. The crowd cheered as the two of them evaporated the water in the air, but made way as Katara began moving to her left. Remembering a basic move from the waterbending scroll she…borrowed, Katara fell into a front stance, right leg out, moving her right arm above her head, her left arm outstretched. Kairi mirrored her movements, placing her left leg out. Katara then began to flow through the movements with elegance, moving her arms in a windmill, the water moving out from underneath her with every step. Kairi successfully picked up Katara's lesson, and remembering Riku's advice, she kept her arms relaxed as the water flowed from underneath her in a wave. With the final arm outstretched, Katara moved the wave up by retreating back a step, allowing for the flow of water to return to her in a stream. She continued moving her arms and body back and forth vertically, allowing for the water to orbit her body. Kairi fell into step and shifting to face each other, Katara streamed her water to Kairi, who caught it in her movements. Kairi then returned the water to Katara, who caught it and recycled the process. The two waterbenders sped up their movements, moving the water back and forth in a larger infinity sign, smiles on both of their faces.

Katara then took the water and plunged it into the ice, dropping into a horse stance. She gathered more water underneath her and moved it up and around her by outstretching her hands while maintaining the horse stance. Kairi stood in a similar stance, but chose to watch Katara first. Katara maintained the circumference of water around her and began pulling water whips out of the halo of water, forming what looked like an octopus's tentacles. Kairi moved the water up and around her with calm precision, creating a ring of water and pulling out water whips of her own. Katara then began moving the whips of water towards Kairi, Kairi deflecting the whips with her own. Katara then freed her intensity and began to move her arms rhythmically, her water whips swaying around her. She looked at Kairi intently, signaling with her eyes to follow her next move with no hesitation. Kairi nodded.

Katara moved the water whips up into two streams and moved the whips to her arms, making both of her arms engulfed in water whips. When Kairi created her own, Katara then began chopping at the air, the whip moving with her. Kairi moved her arm in an upward block and as the two water whips collided, droplets of water flew into the air, glittering in the light of the lanterns. Kairi followed up with a chop, which Katara deflected, sending more water droplets flying into the air. The girls continued this display rhythmically, filling the air with water particles. Katara then signaled for Kairi to drop her water whips and dropping her own, Katara then started bending the loose water particles in the air. Moving them in a sphere above them, Katara froze all of the water particles and allowed for them to collide, Kairi watching in awe. The colliding ice particles sent more sparkling particles into the air. Katara then collected all of the ice particles into two streams, sending another stream towards Kairi, who caught it. Katara then sent her stream flying into the air, Kairi instinctively firing her stream up as well. The streams of ice particles collided perfectly, sending down a rain of snow to the crowd below, who cheered at their display.

Kairi bent over, huffing in exhaustion as Katara approached her. Katara was just as tired, but a huge grin was plastered all over her face.

"Kairi, you never told me you knew how to waterbend!" Katara looked excited, "I thought you might have never seen another soul waterbend in your life when I first met you. You were amazing!"

"But I don't know how to waterbend," Kairi scratched her head, "I was just using the self-defense moves Riku taught me and mimicking you. I never used these moves to bend water before."

"Really? I thought that you might have had a Waterbending master."

"Well, Riku isn't a waterbender, but in many ways, he was my master," Kairi finally stood up after recovering, "he taught me how to defend myself in case I didn't have my weapon. Riku prefers to fight with a blade, so I rely on the swordsmanship he taught me, but I never thought my hand to hand self-defense would ever come in handy." Kairi laughed, flustered.

"Well, I'd be honored to teach you anything I know…if you want to, of course," Katara gleamed at the idea of teaching another student. Kairi picked up on her enthusiasm quickly. Kairi knew that she couldn't stay in the Southern Water Tribe for long, but she also believed that her familiarity with this new skill and a master teaching her could be invaluable for the journey ahead. Her fatigue broke while she was dancing and this ability had saved her life twice already; besides, Kairi needed to get some exercise and rest a little more before she was ready to travel to Ba-Sing-Sei on her own.

"I'd like that. I can't stay for long, but I'd be honored if you would teach me," Kairi bowed respectfully. Katara returned her bow.

"We'll start early in the morning tomorrow, just as my old master had me train," Katara smiled, "get some rest."

Sokka and Suki approached the two waterbenders baffled.

"Wow! That was amazing!" Suki beamed, turning to Kairi, "and I didn't know you could waterbend."

"But I ca-"

"She performed excellently," Katara interrupted, "I plan on teaching her tomorrow. Sokka, would you mind sparring with Kairi as well? I think it would be good exercise for her," Sokka looked surprised.

"Does she know how to use a sword?" Kairi nodded, believing the Keyblade was close enough to a sword anyways. Of course, she would probably use a regular sword to keep her identity hidden.

"I have no problem with that," Sokka agreed, "but I should probably test you first."

"How?" Kairi asked, but then noticed screaming coming from the crowd. A mob of people were running away and Kairi's heart sunk into her stomach as she recognized the source.

Heartless, a whole horde of Heartless, but they weren't alone. Whether crawling on the floor or floating from above, enemies she had never seen before attacked alongside the Heartless, dark entities that she had only heard of recently.

Dark Spirits.

"How about you start with them…" Sokka pointed, gulping.

* * *

><p><strong>And the action begins!<strong>

**As a quick note, all of the movements I had Katara and Kairi make are based off either the Waterbending scroll from the episode with the Pirates (as I alluded to), movements I have seen on the show, or my own limited martial arts experience. I was actually dancing to the music to synthesize some of the more improvised moves while I was writing their sequence, so let nobody tell you that a writer isn't active, haha!**

**Another funny tidbit: this is the longest chapter I have written so far (nearly 5,000 words or around 8 pages on Microsoft word), meaning unless the chapter is critically important, I'll likely start capping myself for the sake of efficiency to 4,000 words.**

**I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can, but I am going up to see my extended family the weekend I am writing this, so I can't make any promises of when. Thanks for reading and make sure to leave a comment!**


	6. Sniper

**Following a long chapter, here's a short chapter to accompany it. Sometimes, though, small chapters like these can be rather interesting, to say in the least. Enjoy.**

* * *

><p>Braig stood at the top of a sandy building, overlooking the city of Agrabah. Silently, he opened a portal underneath his feet and appeared on another roof fifty meters away.<p>

_No sign of the kid. I thought he was here…_

After scanning the area, he finally found the spiky brown-haired Keyblade wielder wandering the streets. Braig knew that he was here completing his Badge of Bravery exam of whatever it was Xehanort said. Braig didn't care too much about what the kid was doing anyways. He has a single mission and he was going to fulfill it.

Braig brought his Arrowguns up and aimed at the kid. This was no time to torment him, like he usually would; this mission wouldn't be any fun, but Braig never questioned an order from an employer and he certainly didn't question Xehanort. Braig sighed. Taking another deep breath, he concentrated.

A single arrow silently escaped, honing in on the target. Sora noticed the bullet at the last moment and deflected it with his Keyblade, but Braig was already one step ahead of him. Having already disappeared in a portal, he opened a smaller portal behind Sora and shot him in the back. Sora fell limp and passed out on the ground.

_Stun bullets. As long as I didn't aim anywhere vital, he should be alive._

Braig examined Sora's wound. Minimal traces of blood exited the wound. He tested Sora's pulse; still alive, as he expected.

Braig exited the portal and proceeded to haul Sora's body onto his back. He grunted at the weight, but bared it on his skinny build nonetheless.

Looking around for any witnesses, Braig found an empty horizon; only buildings surrounding an empty street. He assumed most of the residents were either occupied by work or were shopping near the bazaar.

"Well, that was anti-climatic," Braig shrugged, "There's no helping it, I guess."

Besides, to Braig, the real reward comes after delivering him to Xehanort. He stepped into a portal, leaving the empty streets without a trace.

* * *

><p><strong>To avoid repeating what I said in Chapter 5 (considering I uploaded this chapter about half an hour after posting Chapter 5), I'll keep this short and simply refer you to Chapter 5's end-note regarding when I'll upload the next chapter.<strong>

**Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed! Make sure to leave a review!**


	7. The Battle for the South Pole

**Well, here's the long awaited Part I of Chapter 7. I plan on releasing three parts for Chapter 7, so I hope you enjoy the action.**

**(Just a friendly reminder, the titles in brackets are recommended music tracks to play while reading; you can find them easily on YouTube.)**

**Also, anything with 1.5 or 2.5 for Kingdom Hearts tracks are referring to the 1.5 or 2.5 remixed tracks from the HD remakes rather than their older counterparts. I'll likely be using the original and HD tracks interchangeably)**

* * *

><p>[Vim and Vigor 2.5]<p>

Kairi glared at the Heartless and Dark Spirits entering the city. There must be a few dozen spirits, but hundreds upon hundreds of Heartless.

_Even here?! Won't they ever rest?_

Kairi understood that Xehanort was targeting this world and that the Heartless was unavoidable, but when she thought of Katara and the rest of the villagers, who helped her recover and even tried to find Riku when she couldn't, having to face the atrocities the Heartless brought, Kairi's blood boiled. She couldn't let another world fall, for Katara, Sokka, and Suki to lose their loved ones, assuming they even managed to survive. She thought about her adopted father, the mayor of Destiny Islands, who she lost when Destiny Islands fell to darkness; the anguish she felt over losing him was unbearable.

_I won't allow this world to fall. I have the Keyblade now. I'm not powerless._

"Kairi, get everybody to safety. I'll hold them off!" Katara gathered some water, but Kairi placed a hand in front of Katara, blocking her.

"No, I'll take care of this one. I have a vendetta to settle," Kairi's eyes pierced Katara.

"But you're still hurt. And how can you fight these things without bending?"

"I won't need it. Get your brother and his fiancée out of here. Hurry!" Kairi turned to face the Heartless, but Katara grabbed her shoulder.

"We'll do this together then. I'll have your back," Kairi nodded her head, deciding against debating Katara any further. The Heartless swarm had made it to the town's center and most of the pedestrians, other than a few stragglers, had evacuated. The local militia, a group of trained waterbenders and foot soldiers, were guiding everybody else to safety.

"Well, here goes nothing," she closed her eyes as she hit the buttons on her Armor, allowing her to transform. The design of her Armor had completely changed to fit the conditions of the tundra. Covering her thin parka, Kairi now wore an aluminum reinforced, navy blue wolf pelt tunic lined with white fur that covered the upper half of her body and a thick, similar loin-skirt around her waist that extended down to her knees and parted down the middle and back up to her groin. Navy blue shin and forearm guards, reinforced with thin, lightweight aluminum, were strapped around her limbs. A large brown cape lined with white fur extended from her neck down to her knees and similar brown boots covered her feet. A white lunar crescent symbolizing the water tribe crested the front of her tunic, but a red crown insignia fell in the center of the crescent. Finally, a helmet made from a wolf's pelt topped off her intimidating appearance, giving her the appearance of an honorable Southern Water Tribe soldier.

"Wow…" Sokka gleamed, "I made that?"

"Not exactly. It's more complicated than that. I'll explain later," something caught Kairi's eye.

"Duck!" Sokka looked behind him just as Kairi slashed the incoming Shadow with her keyblade. Sokka's eyes widened.

"I'll explain that later too. Stay behind me," Kairi began sprinting towards the Heartless, preparing herself to cast a spell. Slashing through the first ranks of Shadows, she managed to get in the middle of the hoard and cast Thundaga, taking down a few of the weaker varieties and stopping the stronger enemies from advancing. She began a combo of parries and strikes, knocking down a few Soldiers and Neoshadows; then, she charges her Keyblade with electricity and finishes them with Thunder Surge. She ducked as a nearby Soldier spin-kicked at her and knocked it down with a decisive strike before continuing her onslaught.

Katara could see her father, the chief of the tribe Hakota, and her grandfather, her former Master Paku, running up to her.

"Katara, Sokka, I'm glad you're safe," Hakota placed a reassuring hand on both of them.

"Now, do any of you know what those are?" he asked.

Katara and Sokka's eyes widened with shock, Sokka's forefinger hanging in the air, while Suki just smiled, "I knew she was more powerful than she looked."

Katara snapped out of it, "We need to go help her."

Katara was about to pull Sokka and Suki into battle, but Paku stopped her with a hand.

"You can waterbend at those Dark Spirits as much as you want, but you might as well be splashing around in a pond without knowing how to quell their grudge," Paku looked towards the cluster of Spirits floating from above, "There is a way that you can do purify these spirits with waterbending." A rogue Spirit made it out of the fray and Paku stepped forward.

"Watch closely," he commanded as the Spirit charged. Paku deflected the Spirit with a water whip, knocking the Spirit back. The Spirit attempted to charge again, but Paku managed to bend two tentacles of water to his hands and grab the Spirit, knocking it down. Before it could get up, Paku then raised two tendrils of water from the ground, twisting them around the Spirit. The water, from the base up, started turning a bright yellow as warmth and energy surged through the tendrils. The spirit's dark purple form began turning green as the light overcame the Spirit, and Paku breathed deeply as the light faded. The calmed Spirit flew away into the distance and returned to the Spirit World.

"It might take a little more effort depending on how much of a grudge the Spirit holds or how powerful it is, but I trust that you will be able to calm these Spirit's, Katara," Paku turned and began walking towards them, "Lakota and I will help in any way we can to get the civilians out. You should focus on helping your friend."

"Understood. And thank you," Katara turned to Sokka and Suki.

"Let's go."

"Right," they both said before the three charged into the frosty battle.

Kairi was managing to keep the hoard of Heartless back, setting up a line of mines with her magic to prevent them from getting any closer to the town square and keeping them in the narrow street. She just needed to prevent the flying varieties from entering the city, so charging her Keyblade, she collecting them using Magnega and finished the weaker of the flying varieties with Thundaga. She then used the windows as platforms and jumped onto the roof of an ice building, preparing Blizzaga to hit several of the stronger targets. She managed to launch her spell, but a few stray Air Soldiers and a large, flying Dark Spirit managed to catch her off guard, knocking her down to the ground with preemptive strikes to buy the other Heartless and Dark Spirits time.

Kairi quickly recovers by leaping to her feet, but barely manages to keep balance on top of the ice building before blocking another hit from an Air Solider. She dispatches two of the Air Soldiers before facing the other three and the Dark Spirit. She takes the fight to the air and jumps, assaulting with a succession of strikes before landing a finishing blow on the Dark Spirit. As she lands, her Keyblade begins to naturally glow with light. Letting her Keyblade lead her, she raises her Keyblade to face the Dark Spirit, a beam of light shooting out that overcomes it. The Dark Spirit turns from purple to blue and the purified Spirit flies away contently.

Meanwhile, Katara enters the battle with a wave of water, jumping over the mines before riding the wave to knock out a large number of the Heartless underneath. Using the moon's power, she summons a barrage of icicles from the ground, cutting through the ground and the Heartless in a straight line. She then turns the large icicles into water and breathing, she parts the large amount of water to either side, squashing the Heartless against the buildings. Running into the middle of the road, the parting waves dissipate, but she bends a ring of razor sharp water around her. Expanding the ring, she allows the piercing water to cut through several ranks of Heartless, destroying them on the spot.

Kairi noticed that Sokka was damaging some of the stray the Heartless without issue, but Suki couldn't do any damage at all; knocking a few Neoshadows away, Kairi approached them quickly.

"Regular weapons won't work against the Heartless," Kairi looked at Sokka's sword, "I see. You're sword is made out of Gummi blocks."

"Don't you mean meteorite?" Sokka asked.

"I'll explain later. Hold out your war fans, Suki," Suki obeyed and Kairi lifted her Keyblade, "I'm going to transfer some of my power to your weapons."

A faint glow could be seen as Kairi summoned light to the tip of her Keyblade. The light transferred from the Keyblade to the fans.

"You're war fans won't be too powerful, but it will be enough," Kairi reassured her.

"I'll be fine. Go on ahead," Suki's eye were determined as Kairi left the two, running off to fight at Katara's side. A few Neoshadows approached Suki, which she gracefully eliminated in a few swift movements, knocking one of the Neoshadows into the other two and slicing into them with her war fans. A stray Soldier took advantage of Suki's focus to land a jump kick, but she gracefully deflected the kick, sending the creature flying towards Sokka. Sokka prepared his sword and sliced into the Heartless powerfully, the gleam of his sword piercing the scattered, fading remains of the fallen Heartless.

Meanwhile, Katara was defeating a few Search Ghosts when Kairi made it to her side. Without warning, two Wyverns and a Defender spawned in front of them. Kairi tried to strike the Defender, but it protected itself with its large shield and began shooting fire. Katara barely made it on time, bending a stream of water to protect Kairi. The water immediately turned to steam.

"I'll use the cover to knock out those Wyverns. Attack the Defender from behind, if you can," Kairi prepared to jump.

"Wait!" Katara stopped Kairi.

"…what's a Defender?"

"The big one with the shield," Kairi jumped and began striking one of the Wyverns. Katara gulped at the Defender, but narrowed her eyes in determination. Summoning a sheet of water from the ground, she began sliding on the water, bending it around her before sending a large wave at its back. She then surrounded the Defender with water and had the water seep into its armor. Once inside, she builds up the water pressure inside the large Heartless, immobilizing it. With a violent move, the water inside explodes outward, sending the armor flying and destroying the Heartless.

Kairi, in the meanwhile, had destroyed the first Wyvern, but then jumped onto the other Wyvern's back to avoid Katara's attack. After the Defender was destroyed, Kairi notices a handful of Dark Spirits left from the original onslaught. She also noticed a new legion of Heartless in the distance and a distinct hole in the city's ice walls where the street ended. Kairi, with renewed urgency, yells for Katara to get out of the way. Kairi then plunged her Keyblade into the Wyvern's back, sending a discharge of light that destroyed it. Jumping off the disintegrated Wyvern, she charges her Keyblade with the remaining light and performs Hurricane Period, striking down the rest of the airborne Dark Spirits from the sky with successive blows. Then, using the momentum from her previous combo, Kairi leaps from the final Dark Spirit up into the sky before charging her Keyblade with magic to perform one of her ultimate moves, Faith. With her Keyblade blazing with light, Kairi strikes the ground with sheer force, columns of light piercing the Dark Spirits in every direction, purifying them simultaneously while allowing Kairi to regain health.

Kairi kneels to the ground, panting in exhaustion as the final purified Spirits leave. Katara moves to Kairi and notices the wounds she took from earlier. Katara bends some water and prepares to heal the wounded Keybearer.

"Thanks, but that won't be necessary," Kairi gives Katara a thumbs up before moving her Keyblade over here. Casting Curaga, the green energy flows over Kairi, closing her wounds and revitalizing her.

"Unfortunately, I don't have much magic left and I don't have any Ethers," Kairi said to herself, "and there's another wave of Heartless coming. I'll have to manage without any magic."

"You can manage with waterbending," Katara helped her up.

"I'm not sure who you are or where you draw your power from, but you proved earlier that you know the fundamentals of waterbending. I'm sure you'll be fine."

Sokka cut down a lone Neoshadow while Suki took out a Soldier before the two ran up to meet them.

"That was amazing! Kairi just flew in the air like 'whoosh!' and then hit the ground with that Key-thingy like 'bam!" and took out all of those enemies in one hit!" Sokka beamed, "You're just as powerful as Aang!"

"Yeah, but…" Kairi tried to explain, but couldn't put her explanation into words.

"Kairi's…a little drained. She doesn't have enough power to do…whatever that was again. But she can waterbend."

"Then really should really get some back-up," Sokka grunted, "I don't think we're going to manage against another wave."

"I miss when we were just fighting firebenders," Suki wiped some sweat off her brow, "I'll run and grab some waterbenders; you should stay here and do whatever you can."

"Got it," the other three agreed before Suki ran off past the square in the direction Paku and Lakota disappeared in.

"We should fight them before anymore can enter the city from that hole in the wall," Sokka suggested. Kairi and Katara nodded in agreement.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>And that's Part I<strong>


	8. The Ultimatum

**Here's Part II. Enjoy**

* * *

><p>The wind fiercely cut into the silence and the surrounding walls, the sound reverberating off the various ice buildings and igloos as Kairi, Katara, and Sokka reached the city's shattered outer wall. Heartless and Spirits were well prepared to storm the city in mere minutes and thousands of reinforcements were on the horizon. Kairi and Katara glanced at each other in understanding and moving back, they both began waterbending the snow beneath, turning it into ice as the pillars rose to block the hole in the wall. Cementing the ice into place, Katara then waterbended a set of ice and snow stairs and the three climbed on top of the wall, Kairi sighing in relief.<p>

"Usually, there are sentry patrolling the walls, but the Solstice festival called them all away," Sokka explained, "Being isolated in the South Pole, only other Waterbenders and the Fire Nation would be able to reach us, but with Zuko as Fire Lord, they wouldn't dare attack us."

"Especially at night," Katara added.

"Why at night?" Kairi asked.

"Waterbenders draw their power from the moon and the ocean. The water tribe is surrounded by the ocean and at night, the moon's natural pushing and pulling of the tides helps us waterbend to become even stronger than during the day." Katara looked up at the moon, Sokka following her gaze.

"I knew the moon…" Sokka gazed at the moon.

"What?" Kairi looked confused.

"His girlfriend turned into the Moon Spirit."

"That's rough, buddy," Kairi reassured Sokka by patting his back.

"Why does everybody say that?" Sokka complained.

"Reinforcements have arrived!" Suki declared as she ran up to the sentry post with Paku and an army of fifty Waterbenders before looking up at Sokka's depressed face. She glanced up at Katara.

"Yue?"

"Yue."

Suki sighed, but made her way up the stairwell. Paku and the fifty waterbenders filed up the makeshift stairway behind her and lined themselves on the wall, overlooking the barren wasteland ahead.

Paku scanned the horizon before his eyes settled on the legion of Heartless and Dark Spirits. He placed his forefinger and thumb to his chin, rubbing the defined wrinkles in his frown, before moaning in consideration.

He moved to his men, "Unless you're as foolish as a fish swimming towards a hoard of lion seals, I suggest you gather your families and flee immediately."

"This isn't a battle we can win," Paku shook his head.

The men looked at each other, considering Paku's words before a few turned to leave. Katara moved in front of their path.

"No. We cannot leave! At least not yet…" Katara looked down before returning her glare at the men, "You've seen what the Fire Nation has done at the Siege of the North. They brought an armada of ships, with thousands of men prepared to hurt anybody who stood in their way. But our tribe still won, even in the face of such adversity."

"But we had Aang then," Sokka pointed out, "and the only reason we even won was because he fused with that fishy spirit and gave their navy a powerful waterbending slice."

"But we have Kairi, right?" Katara eyed pleaded with the Keybearer.

"I'm still out of juice," Kairi shrugged before hacking into her arm, "and I'm haven't fully recovered either."

"We don't even have half the number of men in that battle nor do we have the Avatar," Paku walked up to Katara, "I admire your spirit, Katara, and you have gone a long way with your dedication to our tribe, but you must learn to be patient and think about the safety of the tribe before our pride."

"But…our tribe has only begun to rebuild itself. I can't lose it again after all of these years!"

Kairi placed a shoulder on Katara's shoulder, "If your heart is telling you to fight, then fight. But sometimes, it's good to listen to reason as well, especially if it's to protect the people you love. I wasn't able to do anything the day I lost my home, but I lived to fight another day."

"But…"

"I know how you feel. You're thinking about the invasion, aren't you?" Katara's eye widened, frustration and hurt seeping into her before her pupils retracted.

"We retreated then. We had to leave people behind; Suki, Dad, everybody that came to support us. But we still managed to free them and win the war in the end. Maybe this time, we might be lucky enough to not need to lose anybody at all. Besides," Sokka looked out towards the legion, "those guys don't look like they're taking prisoners today."

Katara sighed, her hair falling around her face as if shielding her expression from the world. She waited a moment before pushing her hair away from her face, looking up, "I understand. We should get everybody onto the ships.

"We managed to get the evacuees near the city entrance," Paku informed, "we'll need about forty-five minutes to get the civilians on board and onto the water with enough supplies to last the trip to Kyoshi Island."

"From the looks of it, we'll only have thirty minutes before that giant legion of Dark Spirits reaches the outer wall," Sokka returned a stolen pair of binoculars to one of the waterbenders, who swiped it from his hand in frustration.

"Assuming they don't pick up the pace," Suki added, "not to mention, those flying Spirits can easily make it here in fifteen if they decided to lead the pack."

"Regardless, we are still going to need to last long enough for everybody to board the ships. Once they are safe, we can fall back. I will take the waterbenders with me to serve as an escort for the civilians," Paku ordered his men to follow him, and filing one by one down the steps, they were gone.

"In that case, we should head towards the docks and find a good defensive position," Kairi turned towards the city, "let's go."

"Going so soon?" a voice rang in her ears, a painfully familiar voice.

* * *

><p>[Mystic Moon]<p>

Sora awoke in a dark, murky room. His eyes adjusted slowly, noticing the room faint green, pulsing glow. His pupils contracted as he stared into the spearing, green, crystallized stalagmites and stalactites covering the floor and ceiling. Beyond the damp, claustrophobic rock walls, a natural corridor led into darkness.

Sora groaned, stretching his limbs. He was already being propped up, so he simply rolled onto his feet and got up. He scanned the cave, hearing only the dripping of water.

"What am I doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious by now, squirt?" Braig stepped out of the darkness, grinning.

"Where am I? What did you do to me?" Sora charged forward, but smacked his face into an invisible, circular wall, which received an amused laugh from Braig.

"You're trapped, whether you like it or not," Braig walked over to him. Sora recovered quickly eventually summoned his Keyblade, and pointed it vengefully at Braig.

"Don't you know Keyblades can open anything?" Sora taunted as light gathered at the tip of the key and shot out, only to be reflected back at him. Sora was sent flying into the back of his circular, dome-like prison. The transparent walls squeaked as his fell to the floor, and Sora realized for the first time that his mostly spherical prison wasn't even touching the floor

"You can't unlock something that wasn't locked in the first place. I used to think Keybearers were smarter than this," Braig briefly slipped into reminiscence before casually recomposing, "There's no way in or out unless the Reflectga spell is broken by the old coot. Those are the rules."

"What are you up to? Are you trying to make me your thirteenth vessel again?" Sora's tone dripped with venom.

"Jumping to conclusion already, aren't we," Braig walked around Sora's prison, "No, no. We have found a much more interesting candidate for the position. Apparently, the new guy is someone Xehanort's overlooked until now, but all I know is that he's powerful and necessary. You'll meet him soon enough."

"Then why am I here?" Sora crossed his arms.

"Isn't it obvious? Xehanort's wisened up and realized just how much of a threat you are, so he had me snipe you. He wants to keep you here until he's done forging the X-blade…at least, that's what I would have done," Braig turned his back to the Keybearer and sighed before facing him again.

"No, you're here for a different reason. As you can imagine, we've already gathered up six of the seven Princesses of Heart. And that's where you come in," Braig leaned against one of the glowing green stalagmites.

Sora's eyes widened, "You mean-"

"Bingo, kid. Sorry I couldn't stick around longer, but the boss is expecting me. You'll be seeing me again sooner than you think," and with that, Braig disappeared into the Portal of Darkness.

* * *

><p>"Saix," Kairi bitterly turned as the Luna Diviner appeared from a portal of darkness. Katara, Sokka, and Suki looked on in amazement, but tensed as they felt the discharge of fear from Kairi.<p>

"My name is Isa. Saix was merely my Nobody," he spoke calmly.

"Why are you here?" Kairi snarled. Katara, Sokka, and the rest easily understood that the cloaked man was an enemy and prepared themselves. Isa remained expressionless.

"Now, now, little lady. There isn't any reason to get too hasty now," another portal opened next to Isa, where Braig's mocking grin met Kairi's intense glare, "We're just here to talk."

"Well, I have nothing to say," Kairi summoned her Keyblade and pointed it at the two intruders, only for a third hand to catch it. A portal of darkness opened in-between Isa and Braig, where a white-gloved hand proceeded to discharge a burst of Darkness, sending Kairi flying. Scrapping across the ice, Kairi was able to barely hang onto the ice wall with her Keyblade before pulling herself up, only to wish that she had been knocked out and this was a dream.

The man who stood in-between Isa and Braig was none other than Xehanort. Not Young Xehanort, not Ansem, not Xemnas, but the old, wrinkly, hunched over Xehanort with wide, calculating, amber eyes.

[Xehanort's theme]

"Hmph," Xehanort dusted off his glove, "I can hardly believe they call you a Princess of Heart. You seem...fiercer than the others…as if darkness is capable of existing in your heart."

"Maybe I'm just a little stronger than the other six," Kairi retorted, shaking in her boots.

"You display bravado, but can you act on it?" Xehanort challenged, "That matters not right now. More importantly, I am here to make a negotiation."

"A negotiation?" Kairi's voice edged curiously, although her body remained tense.

"I have something you want and you possess something I need," Xehanort opened the portal to show Sora, floating in a permanent Reflectga forcefield. Sora's voice was mute, but he banged on the walls of his spherical prison in distress.

"Sora!" Kairi called out, but he couldn't hear her. The portal began to erode as Sora's desperate image faded.

"Now," Xehanort grinned, "will you hear out the terms of our agreement?"

* * *

><p>"NO!" Sora banged against the portal wall.<p>

"How…why…" he gave up, sinking to the bottom of his spherical prison.

"How could I let this happen?" Sora stared at the green crystal hopelessly, "I know I was sniped, but…Kairi…"

Sora sighed, defeated. His rattled his mind for any answers, any solutions. He tried his pockets; not even a potion remained. Braig must have frisked him before he had awoken.

"If only there was some way of getting out of here…" Sora summoned his Keyblade and stared at it.

[Always on my Mind]

"There is one way…" Sora heard a familiar voice radiate from within his head.

"No…I can't...what would happen to me...to Kairi?"

"At least by doing…that…I'll most likely end up in Twilight Town again. If Nam—if Kairi were to fall into his hands, our situation will become hopeless. You need to survive first, and then think. Got it memorized?"

Sora considered this, looking at his Keyblade. He thought of his friends, Donald and Goofy, Riku and the King, and the many people he met during his journeys. He thought of Kairi, how much she meant to him and how much he had fought to protect her. She was becoming stronger every day after Master Yen Sid took her in.

* * *

><p>Kairi looked down. Her blood, her veins, her heart were all constricting. Her body shook with unimaginable fury, but she forced herself to look up.<p>

"Fine. Tell me."

"Kairi," Katara cried out, but Kairi simply raised a hand to quiet the waterbender.

"Surrender yourself to me, Princess of Light, and I shall allow the young Keybearer to leave unharmed. If you refuse, I will make him my thirteenth vessel."

Xehanort turned to the others, "and I will send my Heartless and Dark spirit army to destroy your tribe."

Kairi stood frozen. Sora…as Xehanort's puppet…she couldn't imagine a worse fate. Kairi was familiar with the story of Terra, the young Keybearer that Xehanort corrupted and inhabited as a vessel; she couldn't allow Sora to suffer the same cruel, twisted destiny. Kairi was reminded of when Sora sacrificed himself to become a Heartless, all so she could be freed from his heart; she almost lost him once. She resolved that she wouldn't allow Sora to suffer anymore because of her, and she couldn't let Xehanort gain an advantage.

But…

"Fine," Kairi submitted, "but before I turn myself in, I want to see Sora freed on the other side."

"So be it," Xehanort turned, "Isa, open the portal and free the boy."

Isa obeyed and disappeared into a portal of darkness.

"Kairi, there has to be another way!" Katara argued.

"No, Katara. I'm sorry, but I cannot put your tribe in danger just because of me. I cannot put Sora in danger anymore because of me. I'm tired of people risking their lives to save me; I need to take responsibility and help my friends when they need me most too."

"But is this how you want to save him?" Katara pleaded, "Is sacrificing yourself really saving him or are you just repeating the same cycle?"

"Shut up!" Kairi snapped, "I don't want to do this either, but this is the only opportunity I have. Don't you dare say you understand my position."

"A long time ago, someone close to me was in your exact position. I wasn't strong enough to fight back then, to save _her_, and she died trying to save me, but you are more than capable of saving Sora."

"No. You really don't understand then," Kairi looked down, "by the time I reach him, he would already be a completely different person, unrecognizable from his usual self. It's a fate worse than death…" Kairi pounded her leg, grounding her emotions using the pain as a crutch.

"I have to do this," Kairi shook her head, turning back to Xehanort.

"Hmm…curious," Xehanort folded his hands, "a Princess of Heart truly different from the rest. I am impressed."

Kairi bit her tongue, but allowed her mind to run free with all kinds of curses she wished she could deliver upon him.

"Now," Xehanort opened the portal to reveal Isa on the other side.

* * *

><p>"I'll entrust the rest to you, Roxas, Kairi…"<p>

"See ya later, everybody."

* * *

><p>[End music]<p>

Kairi stepped back, her Keyblade falling from her grasp and disappearing, and trembled in new-found fury at what she saw. Inside the portal, the Reflectga forcefield was most certainly occupied. The forcefield was untouched from both the outside and inside.

In the middle of the cage, however, only a small, Shadow Heartless remained.

* * *

><p><strong>The evil cliffhanger!<strong>

**Part III will be up soon, and if you're reading this in the far future, then you're even luckier.**


End file.
